Bad Boys Dont Fall In Love
by DarkAngel0795
Summary: She was a nobody and He was a bad boy heartbreaker. Their paths cross one day and are unable to ignore each other anymore. Your Typical High School Story but definitely a good one. SxS ExT- RATED R FOR SUGGESTIVE THEMES AND SOME FOUL LANGUAGE- NO LEMONS*
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Hey guys, this is actually my very First PUBLISHED fanfic. Please let me know what you think or any criticism, I basically live for it. Enjoy :3

-DarkAngel

"Bad Boys Don't Fall In Love ."

Chapter 1

I sighed as I got out my car and slung my bag across my chest. It was Friday and Tomoeda High seemed to buzz with energy as the Seniors parked their cars and made their way to the building. My best friend Tomoyo climbed out the passenger seat and grabbed her cute shoulder bag from the backseat.

"I'm sorry to have you pick me up in the morning Sakura." Tomoyo said with a little sadness in her voice " I just hope my car gets fixed soon." She looked gorgeous as always, her grey/purple hair was in a French braid with a few strands loose and wore a violet sundress, white cardigan and tan ballet flats.

"It's no problem 'Moyo." I said "My car may not be as fancy as yours but it'll do." I laughed as I said this and took a look at my beat up jeep. Sure it was old and a little beat up but I had bought it that summer with all my savings and I took a little pride in that. She laughed and tried to convince me my car wasn't crappy at all as we made our way through the courtyard into the school.

We stopped at Tomoyo's locker and I leaned next to her.

"Want to come over today once the wicked witches leave?" I asked referring to my mom and sister.

"Sure, I have the most beautiful designs for our Halloween gowns and I have to show them to you." Tomoyo said excitedly and I tried to feign enthusiasm as she mentioned the gowns. With that Tomoyo left to her first class and I dragged myself to mine.

Walking into creative writing and taking my usual seat by the window, I couldn't help but wonder how even though I was a Senior was still a loner with only one friend to count on. I looked around and everyone seemed to have someone to speak to or joke with and here I was in the corner by the window, not that I minded either way. Mrs. Minami shushed the class and began to speak:

"Well class, today we're going to start a new project. It's to be done in pairs and we'll be going to the library every day this week so you can work on it. And I'll be picking your partners for you."

Groans were heard throughout the room. To me it was just easier than having to go through the pain of being left out. I usually paired up with Jimmy Walters A.K.A Jimmy Neutron as many made fun of because of his ridiculously high IQ and hair cut. He was nice and for the most part he did the project and I presented since he hated speaking in public.

"Minamoto " Mrs. Minami called me back from my daydreams. Since the first day she decided my name was not Kinomoto but Minamoto no matter how many times I corrected her. Somewhere along the line I stopped trying.

"Yes?" I answered quickly.

"You'll be working with Mr. Li" she said and I looked to my side just to catch him wink at me. I ignored him,looked down at my notebook and began to doodle. Great way to start off the day, I thought, getting paired off with the school's infamous bad boy.

Syaoran Li was on the tall side with broad shoulders and a muscular build to match from all the martial arts he practiced, he was also one of the top students academically but was known for his cold demeanor and death glares. His chocolate hair was long and always pulled back in a low ponytail, and his eyes were like two pools of pure amber. Girls always seen to swoon over him but I really didn't know what the fuss was about, then again I'm not the average girl.

We left for the library and got our assignments. We had to write an essay and a presentation on the theme: appearances. I sat at a table to the far right near the fiction section and began to write down any ideas. Ten minutes later Syaoran plopped down in the chair next to me.

"Sorry I took so long, got kind of sidetracked." He said. I took a good look at him and couldn't deny how gorgeous he was. He wore an olive green v-neck, dark jeans and a pair of black boots and despite how simple the outfit was he looked sent from heaven.

"It's ok." I replied absentmindedly.

"So what is this thing anyway?" He asked moving closer to me to take a peek at what I was writing.

"Listen I know that the last thing you want to do is be paired up with me and do this stupid thing, so I'll make it easy. I work best alone so I'll do the entire thing and just put your name on it, when presentation comes I'll give u notecards to read off of, cool?"

"Cool" he smirked and I went back to work. We stayed in silence for around 10 minutes, me writing down ideas and him listening to music drumming along with his fingers.

"So are you one of those chicks that like to play hard to get because they think they are better than everyone?" He said in a joking manner. I looked up and raised an eyebrow.

"Why would you think that? Because I'm not swooned away by the popular Syaoran Li?" I tested.

"So she speaks." He smirked.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I closed my notebook and crossed my arms.

"Let's just say I notice things."

"Like?"

"How you come into class, sit in the corner and spend the class lost in thought, looking out the window and doodling and somehow you still get straight A's and answer the teacher's questions spot on,For one." He finished and looked at me. I met his gaze full on and looked into his amber eyes.

"Well then,isn't that..."

"Observative?" He smirked.

"Creepy." I said and now it was my turn smirk. The cockiness in his eyes faded and so did the small smirk. He just stared at me and for some reason my stomach did a somersault. I looked down and reached for my headphones.

"I, um, gotta go." I said and grabbed my stuff as the bell rang to indicate the end of the period. He shook his head and looked up at me and stood as if to say something but it was too late I was already walking through the door. Me and my stupid mouth, I just had to go and get sarcastic with Mr. Badboy.

The rest of my classes went by quickly and in The blink of an eye it was lunch time.Tomoyo joined me in line and gave me the play by play of her newest musical masterpiece for the fall festival. She was going to be playing an original piece on the piano and singing in the festival's concert section. There was also going to be a student art show and at night there was going to be a Halloween ball which was why Tomoyo was designing the gowns for us.

"It's going to be awesome." She said happily and reached for a sandwich as I grabbed a fruit salad and yogurt to go.

"You're going to submit one of your drawings right?" She asked.

"I've already told you no Tomoyo. My drawings aren't good enough" I replied taking an Apple juice.

"You don't know what you're talking about, but think about it. Well I gotta go back to the practice room, see you after school." She paid and left.

Lunch was always spent the same way for me, hidden away in the fiction section of the library. Our school's library had two floors but only teachers were allowed into the second floor.Then there was me, who had unlimited access to every nook and cranny the library had to offer. All the librarians knew me after having come here every day before first period and for lunch and also being able to read a book in just three hours. Checking out books had become unnecessary for me since they all knew they'd have it back by the end of the day or first thing the next morning.

I sat in my favorite corner, tucked away from the world and began to eat my salad while reading a chemistry chapter. Time ticked away slowly and my mind kept floating back to this morning and Syaoran. What if he was mad? Yes at first it had sounded creepy but it was also sweet how he'd noticed all the little details.

I stopped myself. Sweet? Had I really just thought that? Two minutes I spent talking to the guy and he's sweet? Like hell I'd let him play with me and my emotions. Getting friendly with him was the last thing I needed and/or wanted. By the time the bell rang I was done with my work and I went to class.

"Hi coach" I greeted my art teacher Mr.Yang who was on his desk on the other side of the classroom. It was seventh period now and the day was almost done.

"Hey Sakura, ready to get painting?" He asked and I nodded eagerly.

Mr. Yang was also the coach to a couple of sports so everyone knew him as just 'Coach'. I usually had him 8th period but he said he had a special project for me and since I had study hall 7th, they allowed me to come in earlier giving me two periods to work on the project.

He was moving to the art classroom next door at the start of the spring semester, which was a little bit over a couple months away. He was going to get an office inside the classroom since he handled the art and some of the sports department, but he wanted to make it a true art room; and what better way than to paint murals on the walls?

He knew it was a lot of work but he trusted me to get job done since I was one of his favorite students. I had already drew the outlines to everything on all four walls all that was missing now was to paint them. Coach told me he was going to get two of his best students to help me even though, I kept refusing.

I went to the paint cabinet and got what I needed before heading to the empty classroom next door. Coach had made it simple, on the bottom wall with the smart board he wanted Nemo and his friends from 'finding Nemo' with an ocean blue background.

On the wall to the left there were many windows so he wanted all four of the seasons to be portrayed. On the one across he wanted to do something "cultural" as he had said, so I drew couples from different cultures all dancing around; all laughing and smiling and looking into their partner's eyes.

He left front wall up to me, saying I could do whatever I wanted as long as it was appropriate. I had yet to draw anything on it, no inspiration had hit me yet.I set to work and by the time the eighth period bell rang I had Nemo and his dad all done.

"Sakura" coach called for me from the other room. I wiped my hands on my apron and went over. I walked into the class and saw everyone settling down and coach motioned me for his desk.

"Now I know you don't need the help but you'll be having two helpers coming in, in a couple minutes." Coach smiled. As if on cue both Eriol Hiragizawa and Syaoran walked in. The entire class shut up, and I stood there awestruck.

Today out of all days I just kept bumping into Li.

"Hey, you two, this is Miss Kinomoto; she'll be in charge of the project AND you two, so play nice." Coach said with an evil glint in his eyes.

Eriol was a tall, lean-muscled art prodigy with hair so black it looked blue and bright blue eyes. He was known around the school for his artistic abilities as well as his musical ones and for being your all around nice guy. He currently fashioned a navy blue long sleeve, khakis and navy converse. So I stood there thinking to myself how two of the most popular guys in school had managed to get stuck with me everyday eighth period to finish the murals.

Eriol needed a recommendation letter for an early program at some art school and Syaoran needed the extra credit to keep his grades up for a Sports scholarship, coach explained. I didn't even know Syaoran could draw let alone paint.

"Alright then, off you go. She's already done with the curriculum so she has the period off." He added pointing to door. I blushed pink having been put on the spot and rushed past them to the next classroom. I heard them shuffle in and I got them a smock each.

"Well if it's ok with you guys, I'd like to work on one wall at the time so, ummm, Hiragizawa you can work on the Sharks if you don't mind and Li you can start with the blue background, it goes from a darker blue at the bottom to a lighter tone on the top." They nodded and each set off to their own side.

I noticed they didn't really talk to each other, so I assumed the rumors were true: Eriol and Syaoran hated each other's guts. It was rumored that they didn't like each other because Syaoran once stole Eriol's girlfriend, just to dump her for Kari his current girlfriend. Eriol was crushed and Syaoran was indifferent as always.

I got back to work and started working on Dory. I finished up with Dory and went to get my headphones so I could listen to some music while I painted. I took my hoodie off since it was warm from the heaters in the room and got the staircase so I could actually reach the next characters. I pressed play on my phone and placed the stairs near the turtles since Eriol was working on the Sharks on the other side. Syaoran was right next to me testing the different blues for the ocean. I kept on painting while quietly humming along to my music.

I noticed Syaoran from the corner of my eye, who kept glancing up at me. I think it was the fact I didn't have my hoodie on, which I always wore even in the summer. I still didn't see the big deal since I was wearing Jeans, converse and a plain black v-neck. His girlfriend wore outfits everyday that were 20x more revealing than me. Eriol pretty much stayed to himself, focused on painting and not even casting a glance our way.

The bell rang and I was glad school was over.

Eriol started to put his stuff away and I put the finishing touch and began to climb down. Halfway down the stairs began to shake and I squeaked. Syaoran looked up and held the stairs so I could climb down. I slipped from the last step and stumbled back a little before standing straight. Syaoran saw this and started chuckling.

I ignored him, put my hoodie back on and put my supplies away. I said bye to coach and ran to my locker. Taking my books, I left to my car where Tomoyo was already waiting for me. I got home after dropping Tomoyo off and frowned when I saw my mom's car outside. I didn't know what mood she was in today.

I went straight to my room and closed my door. My room was basically my sanctuary; it was the one place where my personality was truly exposed. 3 out 4 of my walls were painted a light pink and the bottom wall was black. There were two windows on it and in the middle my queen bed rested. An easel was on the opposite side and two bean beats littered on the corner. There were stacks of books everywhere, asides from the ones that overflowed her bookshelf. Candles were on every surface possible and glow in the dark stars could been seen against the also black ceiling. Drawings hung on the wall as well as poems, song lyrics and famous quotes. After changing into sweats and putting up my hair into a messy bun, I put my headphones on and did my homework. My mom walked in half an hour later.

"I need you to make dinner, I'm going out." She stated

"Again?" I asked and regretted it a second later.

"Listen here you little whore, you have no right to question me. I am your mother, we aren't equals ok? So just get your lazy ass downstairs and make dinner." My mom responded. I just nodded and went back to my homework. Bad mood, I thought to myself.

My mom never seemed to change. I am actually adopted, having no clue who my real parents are. Her and her husband were actually not able to have children so they adopted me. 3 years later they were actually able to conceive by a miracle and my younger sister was born.

Everything changed after then. They spoiled my younger sister rotten but barely gave me a second look since I was a "rebellious" child. Then my mother found out her husband was actually cheating on her and he left her. She was angry and usually took it out on me, never physically but verbally. I can honestly say, that it hurts worse than physical abuse. Scrapes and bruises heal, but our memories remain the same.

So I became very to myself, and learned to hold my tongue. I usually did the house chores while she jumped from boyfriend to boyfriend and my sister was little miss popular. My sister and I get along ok just not enough to be friends, especially since I'm adopted. I went downstairs and cooked dinner listening to music. I grabbed a plate and ran back upstairs to finish my homework.

Finally done with both my food and my work, I plucked a book from one of the many stacks around my room and lost myself in the pages. I heard my mom's vague goodbye to my sister and my sister sneak out 10 minutes after. I turned on my beats Pill and blasted my music through my room. I texted Tomoyo to come over and soon we were both in my room listening to music and relaxing. We were lucky enough to live two blocks away from each other.

"Did I tell you who my partner for my English project is?" I complained dramatically.

Tomoyo merely rolled her eyes playfully

"No, who is it?"

"Syaoran Li" I said flopping on to the bed.

"The Syaoran Li?" Tomoyo asked moving from her chair to sit on the bed next to me.

"Yup, the very one." And I went on explaining our little conversation at the library.

"Wow, Saks, You have guts." Tomoyo said with wide eyes. I wanted to just let the earth swallow me whole. " But I think it'll be fine, I mean he didn't try anything else throughout the day and you guys have almost the same schedule."

"That reminds me, guess who are my assistants for my senior project?"

"Who?"

"Eriol and Syaoran" I said and waited to see her reaction as I mention her crush's name. She blushed visibly and Sakura smiled. "You know he's actually really quiet, or at least he was while painting the mural with us."

"Stop teasing me Sakura!" Tomoyo pouted "But I think that he's going to be in the Fall Festival and at the Halloween ball"

"That's your chance 'Moyo." I smiled and I saw her eyes twinkle and her face blush. We spent the rest of the night talking about the ball and she showed me some beautiful designs for our gowns. Around midnight I walked her home and thought about the day again. It had been a strange one for certain, it wasn't everyday I paired up for two projects with someone as irritating as Syaoran let alone hold a conversation with him.

I just hope this doesn't mean things are changing.

"SAKURA GET UP!" Tomoyo yelled over the phone as I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes. It was Saturday and my sleep had been disturbed by the constant sound of my ringtone.

" 'Moyo are you ok? It's like 9:00am?" I asked sleepily.

"Kari's having a masquerade party tonight and Eriol is going to be there!" Tomoyo rush-whispered.

"You know we are going to need invites, as in solid fancy invitations." I murmured as I went to the bathroom and started brushing my teeth.

"Ok, so you remember Chiharu from the A.V club? She got a hold of an invitation and with the help of Naoko from the newspaper club and her printer she was able to print some out." Tomoyo explained.

"How'd Chiharu get it?"

"She friends with Rika, who's friends with Meiling Li who Got invited because Kari wants to be in her good side since she's going out with Syaoran." I rolled my eyes as I listened to her, girls were so dumb how was being on a cousin's good side going to help your relationship? But I kept my mouth shut and grunted in response. I finished brushing and finally answered her.

"So we really have to go to this damn thing tonight?" I grumbled.

"Yes! I can meet Eriol and have him meet me again at the Halloween ball. I'll reveal my identity to him them. Please Saku! I need you there for emotional support." She said in a soft tone and I could just imagine her blushing on the other side of the phone.

"Fine" I agreed "But I have nothing to wear."

"Don't worry I got it covered." She answered and we said our goodbyes. My mom or Sister wouldn't be around on a Saturday night so that wasn't going to be an issue. Tomoyo needed me for support and I wasn't going to disappoint.

After a day of cleaning, reading and cooking my sister left around 4 to her friends house and my mom simply walked out the house around 6 for a date I presumed from the amount of makeup and perfume she wore. Tomoyo showed up an hour later and we got ready together.

She wore a pale blue knee length dress that shimmered every time she moved and white open-toe stilettos. I was clad in an Emerald green high-low dress and black close-toed Mary Janes . Her mask was white with feathers sprouting from the left side and her hair was in a soft bun. My mask was black with green lace over it and my hair was made into curls and swept to the side. I barely recognized myself as I saw my reflection in the mirror of my room. Tomoyo smiled behind me and made a smart comment about me barely dressing up like a girl.

Tomoyo drove her car to Kari's house and we were amazed by the sight in front of us. Kari was super rich, so her mansion of a house looked like something pulled out straight out of Beverly Hills. You could see pink and purple flashing lights coming from inside and the hear the bass of the thumping music inside. There was even a line outside the house to get in. Tomoyo went straight up to the bouncer and handed him two gold invitations to which he just nodded and let us in.

She winked and pulled me along into the Mc Mansion. There were people everywhere, either standing or sitting at one of the many couches or making out in a corner. The bass was thumping some pop song while the DJ shouted something over it and flashing lights danced across the entire house. Everyone was wearing masks, dresses and button ups to my surprise since not everyone follows dress code when it came to masquerades.

"How do we find Eriol" I shouted over the music.

"Chiharu said he's wearing a blue mask he made." She explained.

Tomoyo was really into the music department at school, but she hanged around with the art and computer girls as well. She met Eriol in Art class two years ago and had a crush ever since.It's not like Tomoyo didn't have half the male population at the palm of her hand because she did, she was a total babe, with long grey/purple hair, bright amethyst eyes, and a small delicate frame that made her look almost like a porcelain doll. She was really just on the super shy side when it came to Eriol or anything related to him.

"Let's get drinks and check out the place." She suggested and pulled me along with her.

We made our way to the kitchen squishing through all the crowd of people and finally got to the drinks. I got myself a coke and gave Tomoyo a vodka and Sprite for liquid courage. We sipped on our drinks and walked around some more until we decided to split to try and find Eriol. Tomoyo headed up the stairs and I went outside for some fresh air, the air inside was intoxicating.

I gasped once I made it outside, the garden was covered in flowers and there was even a fountain and a hedge maze. Of course people were loitering around so I decided to lose myself in the maze since I really just wanted to get away from it all. I walked in and was amazed at how tall the hedges actually were, the were at least two feet taller than me. It wasn't long until I found myself completely lost in the giant maze. My phone buzzed and showed Tomoyo's picture.

"Hey, where are you?" Tomoyo yelled over the music in the background.

"The garden, how about you?" I asked.

"I'm on the second floor with Eriol, he just went to get us drinks so the plan is working." She yelled.

"Awesome have fun, byeeeee." I answered and hung up.I made one turn after the other and eventually found myself in a gazebo.

"Well at least I know I'm in the middle." I sighed and sat on the bench inside.

"Who's there?" A deep voice asked from the other side and I jumped in my seat. A guy emerged from the shadows that covered the other side and I stood up.

"I'm sorry I got kind of lost." I replied lamely thanking Tomoyo or making me wear the mask.

"It's ok, is just no one knows how to get here." He replied leaning against one of the pillars.

"But you do?" I questioned.

"Yeah, my girlfriend lives here so I learned my way here without her knowing. Well ex-girlfriend now." He answered and sighed deeply.

I took a good look at him and saw that it really was Syaoran just with a mask and his hair gelled back; everything else looked the same, amber eyes, toned arms and tanned skin.

"You and Kari broke up?" I asked timidly after a couple of minutes in silence.

"Yeah, it's really none of your business though." He replied harshly.

"I-I'm sorry I asked, you just seemed upset about it." I stammered and it was true, he looked tense and kept clenching and unclenching his hand plus his eyes looked darker than usual.

"No, it's fine" he sighed letting his hands fall "I'm just a little on edge, sorry."

"It's ok, I know you barely know me but I can listen to you rant if you want." I said.

"Yeah, so you can go tell the whole school." He answered angrily.

"The school doesn't even know I exist." I said rolling my eyes "only reason I'm even here is because my best friend dragged me, otherwise I'd be at home reading a book like always."

"Really? Reading? On a Saturday night?" He asked with curiosity.

"Yes reading" I laughed "it's like my own escape from reality, I literally get lost in the words and pages." I saw him looking at me strangely "I'm sorry, I'm probably boring you with all this book talk."

"No, it's ok you seemed happy when you talked about it." He smirked.

"I guess, so what's on your mind?" I asked

"You have to promise me you will not tell a soul! Not even your best friend." He said.

"I wasn't planning to." I jokingly rolled my eyes.

"Ok, well I was the one that broke things off with Kari." He said and my mouth went slack. He shook his head "I was just tired of her. She's empty, doesn't think of anyone but herself and her looks and I just don't think I can be with someone for appearances."

"Well, duh." I said with a smirk. "She's made my life a living hell since kindergarten, I could have told you that."

"Really? She's that bad?" He asked.

"Yes" I said bluntly and he stared at me suspiciously.

"Who are you by the way?"

"Isn't this the part I run away so you can never find my identity like Cinderella?" I said jokingly while taking off my mask.

"I'd Probably catch you before you-" he stopped mid-sentence as he saw my face.

"Kinomoto?"

"Umm, hi?" I waved awkwardly. "Sorry about yesterday too by the way, I'm just super blunt."

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh, when I called you a creep." I cringed mentally.

"Oh, yeah" he laughed. "It's fine, I mean it did sound kind of creepy. Is just I notice things."

"It's okay, I'm just not used to being noticed unless Is by someone like Kari, who only notice me to bully me." I explained.

"I can understand, before yesterday I don't think we have ever even spoken." He said bluntly. "Did you draw all the murals in Coach's new classroom?"

"I did, it's kind of my off-the-charts senior year project. Coach was the one that really put me up to it." I said slipping my mask back on and tying it back into place.

"Not bad." He said as he watched me get up from the bench. "Where are you going?"

"Someone's coming and I don't think it's a good idea for them to find us together on the same night you broke up with your super-popular obnoxious girlfriend." I answered. I noticed a second path to the hedge maze and took my exit without waiting for a reply. After a good 10 minutes I was finally back at the garden.

The party was in full swing once I got back inside and I noticed Tomoyo pressed up against Eriol dancing and laughing. I texted her to have fun and that I was grabbing a cab back home to not worry about me. I pushed my way outside and was waiting for my Uber when some jerk decided it was ok to try and hit one me.

"Heyyy there pretty thing" he slurred as he tried to walk up to me. I was literally standing on Kari's front lawn so I didn't see him as much of a threat. I ignored him and kept my head down looking at my phone, watching him with just my peripheral vision.

"Hey bitch, you deaf or something?" He yelled and I ignored him again praying for my uber to hurry and show up. He was suddenly next to me and yanked my arm harshly.

"What the fuck is your issue bitch? You think you better than me?" He yelled and I snapped.

"Leave me the hell alone, if I'm not interested, I ain't interested you douche." I snapped yanking my arm free.

"You little skan-" he started to say but someone had punched him mid-sentence.

I turned around to find Ruby eyes staring back at me and a mischievous smile form on her face.

So what did you guys think? Too long? Too short? Please let me know all your comments/questions and I'll try and answer them. Also I know high schools in Japan wear uniforms but I have a purpose for this so please bare with me.

Second chapter will be more eventful than this one I promise and should be up soon. Until then :3

-DarkAngel


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Hey guys, just letting you know I will be doing different pov's but all in due time. I'm still trying to introduce and set the setting so there's a lot of background info in this chapter. I know Sakura is a little off as well as her family background but I have a reason for everything I swear.

Anyways,

Enjoy :3

"Umm, Thank you?" I said but it came out more like a question.

"No problem, guys can be such idiots once they're drunk. I'm Meiling by the way." Meiling said smiling. Her long, straight hair was pulled into a sleek ponytail and her red dress hung to her like a second skin accentuating her curves. She wore black stilettos and bright red lipstick to match. In short she was gorgeous.

"Sakura Kinomoto, but just Sakura is ok." I said, my shyness taking over.

"Why are you out here on your own?" She asked raising an eyebrow.

"I came with my best friend but she got to get together with her crush so now I'm just waiting for a cab." I explained and glanced down at my phone.

"Oh come on! This party is just starting! Let's go." She said and before I knew it I was getting dragged back to the mansion by none other than Meiling Li. We came to the kitchen once again and she handed me a drink before dragging me once more to the dance floor.

"Can you dance?" She shouted over the music. I nodded numbly still trying to get my head together from the fast change of events and before I knew what was happening I was in the middle of the dance floor with Meiling.

A fast pop song came and she smiled and started to dance around me. My shyness came over me and just looked at her shyly moving my feet side to side.

"Come on let loose a little!" She shouted and took my hand in hers and spun me. I laughed as she did and finally let my body loose. I realized it had been a while since I let my hair down and danced (literally) so for one night I forgot my worries and danced my heart out.

Meiling was a great dancer and not once did she make me feel awkward or bad in anyway. As I started to dance regularly I saw her flash me a smile and I laughed. We laughed and danced and enjoyed our night like no one was watching. We swayed our hips and danced to the beat together, and I let go completely. A slow song came on and we took that as our cue to get some fresh air. She led me to the second floor and we stepped out to the balcony, it overlooked the amazing garden and Hedge maze.

"You are so good! Where did you learn how to dance like that?" She asked and I just smiled.

"My room?" I answered and she shook her head.

"No way"

"Believe it or not this is actually my first high school party." I shrugged and smirked as I saw her mouth go slack.

"No way" she repeated and I nodded. "What grade are you in?"

"I'm a senior."

"How come I've never seen you in school before?" Meiling asked raising an eyebrow.

"I'm more on the invisible side of things, usually stay to myself and hang out at the library." I replied casually, my drink remained untouched in my hand.

"I wouldn't say invisible, I'd say you're just hard to find. Like a treasure or something." She smiled and I smiled at the compliment.

"Not really but Thanks"

"I'm serious Sakura, and now that I found you, I'm sure you'll be seeing a lot more from me. It's just hard to find any real girl friends who aren't just wanting to get close to my cousin or want to be my friends because I'm rich." She explained with a sad smile.

"Well thank you Meiling." I smiled "To be honest the last thing I want to do is get with your cousin or your money for that matter."

"Well that's a first." She joked and I laughed along with her.

"Plus, I think you're really down to earth." I glanced at my phone and realized it was 2:00 already. Time must have flew by when we were dancing earlier. "Thank you for everything Meiling but I have to go, it's already late."

"No problem Sakura, Here." She said and took my phone saving her name and number on my contacts list. She sent her self a text message and saved my number in hers as well. "Now we can stay in touch but we'll definitely hang out soon.

I smiled and nodded. I went downstairs and called for a cab again. Thankfully no one was outside this time as the party continued inside and I shivered against the brisk September air. Soon fall would be here and autumn colors would paint the trees.

A forest green two-door Lotus Evora pulled up in front of me and the black tinted windows rolled down revealing Syaoran inside.

"Need a ride?" He asked in a bored tone and I raised an eyebrow. 'Since when does Syaoran Li offer me rides?', I thought.

"No I'm ok, thank you." I said without moving from my spot.

"Come on, I'll promise nothing's going to happen to you. My cousin Meiling saw me leaving and asked me to give you a ride." He explained exasperated and I just eyed him suspiciously.

He rolled his eyes and got out the car. He came around the passenger side and opened the door waving at me to get inside the car. Once he saw I was not moving from my spot he rolled his eyes once again and took out his phone. He dialed someone, put it on speaker and Meiling answered.

"Hello?" She shouted and you could hear the music in the background from the party.

"Can you tell Kinomoto I'm giving her a ride?" Syaoran asked in an annoyed tone.

"Yes Sakura! I was just going to text you. It's too dangerous around this time for a cab so let Syaoran take you. I already told him I'd beat him up if I got a single complaint from you." She joked and I nodded at Syaoran.

"Alright bye Mei." Syaoran said and hung up the phone. I walked past him and sat on the passenger seat as he closed the door behind me and got in the car himself. I gave him my address and we pulled away from the curb. We were riding quietly when I suddenly couldn't take it anymore and decided to break the silence.

"I thought you had already left." I said and kept my gaze on the window. He didn't say anything for what seemed a long time before he answered quietly.

"A couple showed up after you left so I made my way back to the mansion. I was about to leave before I got distracted and decided to stay for a little." His voice was deep and rich but there was a hint of coldness that didn't settle well with me.

"Distracted?" I asked looking at him this time and he just looked at me before shrugging it off.

The rest of the ride was silent afterwards and I thanked him before hopping out the car. I eyed my house and chose against using the front door. I took off my heels, hid them in the bushes and climbed the tree next to my window. My windows were always opened so I climbed through easily and looked back only to see Syaoran's car still outside. I turned on the lights and I heard the car speed away. After quietly changing into a tank top and pajama shorts I flopped on my bed, almost instantly falling asleep.

Syaoran's POV*

I was laying on my bed and couldn't believe the past couple days. Kinomoto kept popping up everywhere since we got paired up for that English project.

I didn't think much of it at first, from what I had seen she always seemed to be on the quiet side. I didn't even notice her in class at first, since I had never had her in one of my classes prior to this year.

• _Flashback•_

 _It was the third day of classes and I was already bored out of my mind. I stepped into the classroom and noticed I was actually early and the first one there. I took my seat and put my head down on my desk. Soon enough I heard the shuffle of other students come in and the chatter amongst them._

 _The bell rang and Mrs. Minami began her lecture. I turned my head to the left and saw a girl quietly doodling on the margins of her notebook. Her Honey-colored hair was pulled onto a high ponytail and even still it hung past her bottom. She wore a black baggy hoodie, jeans and converse, a moon pendant could be seen._

 _"Mr.Li, would you mind answering the question please." Mrs. Minami called from the front of the room._

 _I looked at the board trying to get a hint of what the teacher was talking about but found nothing._

 _"Umm.." I stalled when I saw an origami star landed on my desk, I looked at the girl but she seemed unfazed. I opened the star quickly and read it out loud " Edgar Allan Poe"_

 _"You are correct, Mr.Li. Edgar Allan Poe is the author of the Tell Tale Heart which will be the first story we will be reading…" and Mrs. Minami continued on. I glanced back at her and she looked at me for the first time and I was in a trance. Her eyes were such a beautiful shade of emerald I was almost hypnotized. She looked away first, going back to doodling and I shook my head as If waking up from a dream. I never figured out if she had been the one to write it but I did keep seeing her in all of my classes except the last two._

 _•End Flashback•_

Ever since that day I began to notice her. For the most part stayed to herself and just minded her own business. Her nose was always stuck to a book, she didn't eat at the cafeteria and while the hoodie changed everyday she always wore a high ponytail, hoodie, jeans and converse that matched the color of her hoodie.

She only seemed to have a tight group of friends and despite not being ugly she seemed to not be interested in dating, This he had gathered from the past three weeks since school started; October would be here in a couple of days.

Now after getting paired up for not one but two projects, he incidentally ends up confiding in her about his annoying relationship and comes to find out she can dance her life away.

I hadn't expected to see her in the middle of the dance floor with my cousin Meiling but after seeing her initial shyness go away and her body relax, I decided to stick around for a while. It had been a strange reason, now that I thought about it, but she looked different and something rooted him to his spot.

"What was I thinking?" I murmured to myself shaking my head as I thought about the ride home. I had seen her climb a tree and sneak into her room without much effort, and I have to say I was impressed. But tonight something had definitely changed between them and I'm not sure if I like what's coming. With those thoughts I fell asleep and dreamed of nothing.

I woke up to my phone buzzing on my night stand. I didn't even bother to check who it was before I answered and regretted it almost instantly.

"Syaoran, baby, you can't do this to me-" Kari yelled over the phone and I rubbed my eyes exasperatedly.

"It's Li to you, and we're done." I said and immediately hung up. 'Why did I even date her?' I asked myself as I got up and went to my private bathroom. My room was forest green with brown furniture to match. My king sized bed was nestled between my walk-in closet to the right and my private bathroom to the left. There was also a balcony to the left and a huge plasma TV faced the bed. There was also a desk with his laptop and right above it a sword hung proudly.

I stripped off my clothes and was glad to not have a hangover since I barely even drank at the party. I showered and changed into jeans, boots, a dark green v-neck and a leather jacket over it. My phone rang for a second time that day.

"Morning Syaoran!" Meiling chirped from the other side of the phone as I headed downstairs to grab some food.

" 'Sup Mei?" I asked nonchalantly. I grabbed some Orange Juice and leaned against the counters, listening to Meiling.

"Not much, how was last night? Did Sakura make it home ok?" Meiling asked and I rolled my eyes knowing she couldn't see me.

"Of course she did, you make it sound like I would do something to her." I said drinking some of the OJ.

"I saw the way you were staring at her when we were dancing, you perv!" Meiling basically shouted and I practically sprayed out my juice. I coughed and got my bearings together before getting back to my cell phone.

"I wasn't staring. I barely even know her." I said coldly. Li Yelan walked into the kitchen then, she gave me a look that meant nothing but business and I nodded.

"Let me call you back Meiling." I said and without waiting for a reply I hung up. "Yes, Mother?" I asked in my most serious and cold tone.

"Follow me." She said and turned to lead the way. No matter how old or tall I was, my mother would always seem not so much intimidating but authoritative. Her black hair always a cascade behind her, her eyes always caring yet strict and her whole demeanor itself seemed regal and demanded respect.

I followed her up to her office where she motioned me to take a seat while she sat behind her desk. She sent the maids away and turned her full attention to me.

"I heard about your breakup withh Kari Johnson." She said calmly but I knew better than to trust her tone.

"Yes I did, Mother. Why?" I asked respectfully.

"Because her father, Robert Johnson, CEO of Johnson LLC, called me today to say he's no longer considering our deal." She explained and I suddenly felt like an Idiot. That's the reason I dated her, because of her father's business. Technically every girl I've ever dated was because it would help Li Corporations. As the next Heir of a very important Family and Corporation the responsibility to learn the business comes first. Meaning if I have to date someone's bratty daughter for a couple months while we made a deal or merge with another company, then I did.

"My apologies Mother, It won't happen again." I staid stoically.

"As long as you know where your priorities are Xiao Lang. These girls are but mere pawns that are to be disposed, not a distraction." The coldness in her voice made me flinch internally. "You are dismissed."

"Yes mother." I replied even though she had already looked down to work in whatever paperwork was in front of her. I left her office and wondered throughout the enormous mansion. One of the perks of being the heir to an internationally successful company was the money. He had more money that could be spent in one life without counting the Family Fortune. It was an amazing thing really, but most of the time it made him unable to trust anyone and isolated.

I roamed the mostly empty halls, take away the employees and I might as well be alone. This is how things were always, solitude and silence. I remembered Friday afternoon, helping out Kinomoto on her mural and the silence being deafening because of the tension between me and Hiiragizawa. I heard her humming then, she had been so concentrated that she hadn't even noticed she was doing it. It was soft and low but it interrupted the silence and I was glad for it.

That was also the first time I saw her without her hoodie and saw how nicely shaped her curves were. I kept trying to steal glances at her but by the end of the period I knew she knew I was looking. The second time had been yesterday with that breathtaking dress that matched her Emerald eyes. To be honest it still bothered me why I chose to confide on a total stranger, maybe it had been the anonymity of it all but for her to turn out to be Kinomoto of all people, it made me question how things would change or if they'd change at all.

I dialed back Meiling and she answered by the second ring. "Sorry about that Meiling, business called."

"That's actually what I called for, to find out if you really broke up with Kari but now I know." Meiling replied.

"I got really tired of her, she's a spoiled brat." I answered nonchalantly.

"I think it was more than that but you just haven't noticed. Either way can you come with me to mall, my mom won't let me go unless you come with." She explained. I knew she wasn't lying, our family was very powerful meaning we had a lot of enemies as well. Kidnap attempts had been made before so now my auntie was always extra careful with Meiling just like my mother was with my four older sisters.

Fine, only because I don't want to be here. See you at noon." I said and hung up. I left for my room and decided to knock out my homework since I didn't have to pick up Meiling for another two hours.

Earlier that day*

-Sakura's POV-

"Hello?" I mumbled into my phone as I rubbed some sleep out of my eyes

"SAKURA! Wake up!" Tomoyo screamed from the other side of my phone and I flinched and held my phone at an arm's length away.

" 'Moyo it's 8:00 in the morning and I didn't get into bed until almost 3. What's wrong?" I grumbled as I got up and went to the bathroom.

"I need to see you ASAP! I have so much to tell you! Let's go the mall today!" Tomoyo giggled on the other line and I knew there was not going to be an argument about it

"My mother isn't home and probably won't come back until late and same thing goes for my sister so I just have to clean up the house and I'll meet you there." I explained.

"So around noon?" Tomoyo asked as I put my hair in a messy bun and brushed my teeth.

"Yup." I mumbled and she said her goodbyes knowing I was brushing my teeth. I hung up and finished my morning routine. After a quick breakfast of yogurt and a banana I set to work and cleaned. I was responsible of the cleaning of the entire house, as well as washing dishes, laundry and cooking.

Every since my father left, my mother assigned me to be basically the maid. It wasn't so much assigned but after being told to clean and do everything every day, I eventually started doing it without being told. It wasn't that bad though, I liked a clean house and I loved to cook so it was not too much on me.

After putting the last load to dry, I showered and started to get ready to go. I dressed in a black pleated skirt, black tights, light pink doc martens, and a light-pink,off the shoulder, loose blouse that almost reached the edge of my skirt. My hair was in its usual high-ponytail, my moon pendant could be seen and I put on some silver hoops to finish. Tomoyo was going to be happy that I wore one of her outfits instead of my usual hoodie, but it was mostly because my clothes were still drying.

Tomoyo was actually stinking rich and said I had the perfect figure, from then on she liked to buy and make me outfits. Despite that, I liked to stick to my hoodies and jeans but I'd humor her once in awhile and wore her outfits. I was really grateful to have her as a friend since we were small, she helped me get through everything; From finding out I was adopted, to my father leaving, to putting up with my witch of a mother, she was always there to help get through it and I could be my happy-go-lucky self around her.

After spraying some perfume,I grabbed my keys and messenger bag and left to the mall to meet with Tomoyo.

A/N: Not much of a cliffhanger, I'm sure you guys know where I'm going but I have a reason I promise. Please remember to review/comment/ ask questions and I'll see you next chapter. ;3


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: I actually did this chapter right after posting the last one since I could stop writing. Hope you guys enjoy, this chapter has some fluff. Please remember to Review and thanks for keeping up this far.

Enjoy :3

-DarkAngel

-Sakura's POV-

I parked my car and received a text from Tomoyo telling me to meet her in front of the food court. I made my way through the busy mall and found her in front of an ice cream stand. She held a couple shopping bags already and continued to glance down at her phone. Her hair was in a pretty messy braid, white jeans, a loose violet top and violet ballet flats.

"Hey Tomoyo." I greeted her and I swear she got stars in her eyes.

"Sakura, you look so Kawaii!" She said whipping out her phone and taking pictures.

"Stop it 'Moyo, it's not that big of a deal." I said embarrassed.

"Oh my gosh, can your hair get any longer? I mean is up to your thighs and it's in a ponytail, and to think you used to have it short when we were little." She went on and i just smiled shyly. "Let's go!"

We started to browse around and I broke her out of her rant "So what happened with Eriol?" I asked raising an eyebrow.

She blushed pink and looked down briefly. "Oh, Sakura! It was wonderful. While I was looking for him I tripped and it just so happened he caught me. We stepped out to the balcony and we started talking.He went to get me a drink and that's when I called you to let you know I was with him. We spoke for a long time about everything and anything and then we got to the dance floor. We danced for a while but he tried to take off my mask and I ran off. I told him I'd see him at the Halloween ball and drove home."

"Oh wow, that's great Tomoyo but why didn't you let him take off your mask? I mean I took off mine when Li asked me to." I said before realizing my mistake mentioning Syaoran.

"Because I want to try and drive him crazy figuring out who-wait did you just say Li?! Tell me everything!"

"I found him at the middle of the Hedge maze and we talked for a little. He asked who I was and I took off my mask. By the way do you know his cousin Meiling?"

"I know she's in the Drama Club and Martial Arts Club as well but have never spoken to her. Why?"

"I met her last night and she made me dance but she's actually really nice. You'd like her Tomoyo. Also she said we would see her more." I smiled and Tomoyo smiled in return. We were currently at a popular Lingerie store, they had a sale on everything and Tomoyo insisted we went inside.

"Can I have this in a size 34DDD miss?" I asked a store clerk and she came back with the lacy black bra in my size.

"Well I'm glad you're speaking well of me in my absence." A new voice said and I turned to see Meiling and Syaoran a couple steps behind her. She wore a jean mini-skirt, a red tank top with a short leather jacket over it and black knee-length boots.

"Hey!" I smiled and she hugged me. I nodded my head at Syaoran and he returned it looking annoyed as ever. "Tomoyo, this is Li Meiling, Meiling, this is my best friend Tomoyo Daidoji."

They greeted each other and Meiling glanced back at Syaoran before elbowing him in the chest. "This lone wolf is Syaoran." She said and Tomoyo smiled at him while he just grunted.

"Sakura, you and Li-kun know each other right?" Tomoyo asked sweetly and I glared at her.

"Yeah, we're partners for our English class and for my senior mural since Friday." I said nonchalantly.

"Oh yeah, Syaoran told me about it and how you drew all of them by yourself." Meiling smiled while Syaoran grunted in response.

"I'll wait outside." He said gruffly and left the store.

"Sorry about him, he's not too social." Meiling said sheepishly.

"No worries." I smiled and we resumed our shopping. We chatted idly mostly us trying to get to know each other and paid once we were all done. We walked out the store and looked around trying to spot Syaoran for Meiling, when someone blocked my way.

"Hey there cutie, are you alone?" He asked and I had to resist the urge to roll my eyes. He had spiked hair and black eyes that gave me the creeps.

Meiling pulled me around him while rolling her eyes "Not interested." She murmured as she did.

"Hold on, we should let her decide." He said grabbing me by the wrist and twisting me towards him. "What's your name honey?" He smiled wickedly at me and I almost gagged.

"None of your business" a deep voice said behind me as I was opening my mouth to yell at him in a very colorful manner. I turned to see Syaoran glaring at the dude, amber eyes lit ablaze.

The guy let me go and marched up to Syaoran. "And exactly who are you?"

"No one you want to know." was all Syaoran said before knocking out him out with a single punch. Someone screamed as he did and mall security came at us then.

"RUN!" Meiling yelled and the four of us ran to the parking lot while the mall cops yelled at us to stop where we were. We ran all the way outside before ducking behind some cars and hiding. I sat on the concrete trying to catch my breath and that's when I noticed Tomoyo and Meiling missing.

"Where's Meiling and Tomoyo?" I whispered to Syaoran.

"Meiling took your friend and decided to split from us to make it harder on the guards, but we'll meet them after they stop looking for us." He said quietly. A couple of minutes went by silently, when I finally looked up at him.

"Why'd you do that ?" I whispered so quietly that I thought I didn't say it in the first place. He shrugged and didn't say anything else.

-Tomoyo's POV-

"I think we're ok now." Meiling said as she peeked around from the dumpster we were hiding behind. I sighed and let my bags drop to the floor while I leaned my hands on my knees to catch my breath.

"I can't believe Li-kun he literally came out of nowhere." I said between breaths.

"He's usually not like that but I think he didn't even think about it, just reacted."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"I think my cousin may have a little bit of a thing for Sakura. But he hasn't noticed yet." She explained with a sparkle in her eye.

"How do you know?" I asked a similar twinkle forming on my eyes as well.

"Yesterday at the party Syaoran couldn't take his eyes away from her when we were dancing, that was my first suspicion. The second one was how he reacted when I questioned him about it and when he picked me up I brought her up again and no matter how indifferent he tried to act he spoke highly of her. My third and final suspicion was his reaction just now, it takes a lot for him to get that angry and all that guy did was flirt with Sakura." Meiling explained and I nodded along.

From what I knew Sakura had been mentioning Li-kun a lot more since Friday but couldn't tell if there was anything more than that, but wouldn't pass up the opportunity to pass up being Cupid.

"So what do you want to do about it?" I asked curiously.

"It's rare for my cousin to show any type of emotion let alone get a reaction out of him, so I want to try and help him out. What do you think?"

"I'll help!" I said happily and we both smiled with stars in our eyes.

"I also saw you with Eriol too, so I can help you there too." Meiling said slyly and wiggles her eyebrows suggestively. I laughed and blushed at her antics.

"How do you know Eriol?" I asked.

"He's our cousin as well." Meiling replied and I gasped in shock.

"But he's a Hiragi-" I started

"Hiragizawa, I know" Meiling interrupted " My mom's sister married his father changing the last name from Li to Hiragizawa."

"But Li-kun and Eriol don't get along." I commented clearly confused

"That's a whole story and a half but the only ones that can tell it is either of them. Me on the other had get along just fine with Eriol" She said sadly and I nodded. "They finally stopped looking" she said and I grabbed my bags.

"Should we meet up with them or just let them be?" I said mischievously.

"Let's just let them be." Meiling said shooting them both a quick text while we made our way back to the parking lot. "Want to grab a bite at that new cafe downtown?" She asked.

"Sure" I smiled and we left to my car talking about different ways to get our friends together.

-Syaoran's POV-

" _I'm going for lunch with Tomoyo, you guys have fun and make sure Sakura eats. She hasn't had lunch yet. ;)- Meiling"_ I read Meiling's text and scowled at it.

"Daidoji and Meiling left already, they went for lunch." I said in a bored tone and watched as Kinomoto stood up from the concrete and dusted herself off. I didn't recognize her when I had first saw her at the Lingerie store, I had been following Meiling around mindlessly but then I heard her ask for her size and recognized her voice.

I had done a double take then, amazed she owned anything other than jeans and hoodies. She almost looked cute, almost.

I thought back to the guy in the mall that had been hitting on her and my blood boiled as it had before. I didn't even know why I had reacted the way I did since I always had good control over my emotions but all I remember was seeing his hungry eyes and knocking him out without hesitation.

"Meiling said you haven't eaten yet, is that true?" I asked and as she opened her mouth to protest, her stomach growled. She looked down embarrassed and nodded. "Let's go." I said simply and grabbed her bags.

"But-" she began protesting but I had already started walking in the direction of my car. She followed a couple moments later and we reached my car.

I opened her door and threw the bags in the back seat before motioning for her to sit.

"I can open my own door, thank you." She said with a frown but sat in the car nonetheless. I closed it behind and went around to my door.

"Why are you doing this?" She asked as I buckled my seat belt.

"Meiling told me to." I said simply and we drove away from the mall.

"Where are we going then?" She asked.

"Where do you want to eat?" I asked ready for a headache. Girls never seemed to know what they wanted to eat.

"Burgers?" She asked and I nodded. "Nothing fancy though, I'm ok with drive-thru." She added and I tried to not show the shock on my face. She was definitely different.

-Sakura's POV-

We got drive-thru from WcDonalds and parked by penguin park at my suggestion. We ate our food in silence and I glanced out to the giant penguin slide in the middle of the park.

We finished our food and I spoke up "Want to walk around?" I asked and he nodded after a little hesitation. We got out the car and began our walk around the park.

"This is a first for me." Syaoran said after a while.

"What is?" I asked curiously.

"Taking a girl to lunch at a fast food restaurant and just eating in my car." He explained.

"Really? How come?"

"Usually they want to go to high end restaurants with fine dining, as long as it's expensive they're ok with it."

"That's sad." I said without thinking.

"Sad how?"

"The value of things is not in how expensive they are. I may be old-fashioned but I'll take a cup of coffee at an old bookstore with an authentic conversation than a boring fancy dinner at a 5 star restaurant anytime." I explained looking up at the sky. It was already well into the afternoon and in about an hour the sun would start setting.

He seemed to be deep in thought for a while before he spoke up again. "I don't think is old-fashioned." was all he said before going back to his thoughts. We walked in silence again but this time it wasn't uncomfortable at all. We came upon the swings and without a word I headed straight to them and sat. I swinged gently, the toes of my boots still touching the ground.

Syaoran sat down next to me without a word but didn't move at all.

"How did you and Meiling became friends?." Syaoran asked and jerked me back from my daydreams.

"I actually met her yesterday, she helped me out after some drunk tried to get smart with me."

"Sounds like her." He smirked.

"What were you guys doing at the mall today anyway?"

"Meiling wanted to go shopping and my auntie insisted I went with her."

"Why? Sorry if I'm overstepping."

"It's ok, is just that being part of a family as important as ours, we have also made enemies. They have actually tried to kidnap her before so my mother and aunties are really careful when it comes to the girls in the family,"

"Oh, sounds harsh" I said as I thought about it.

"It can be, but growing up how we did it didn't faze us much."

"What do you mean?"

"Our family is very traditional. We have to have certain training and teachings as we grow up." He explained but seemed uncomfortable with the subject.

"I'm sorry if I asked too many questions." I apologized.

"No worries." He said simply and I looked down at my boots. "You dance really well." Syaoran said quietly and I looked at him surprised.

"Oh, um, Thank you." I mumbled. "Did Kari bother you afterwards?"

"She called this morning but I just brushed her off, she's a brat." He scowled and I burst out laughing.

"I'm sorry, it's just funny to hear someone else besides me refer her as that." I laughed.

"You seem different outside of school." He commented and I looked at him again. He met my gaze and Amber met Emerald head on. 'I could get lost in those eyes' I thought and immediately scolded myself mentally for thinking of it in the first place.

"Different how?" I asked, neither of us looking away.

"You seem more cheerful and you smile more." He answered as tore his gaze away and directed it towards the sky.

"Oh." I answered lamely.

He looked at me again and raised an eyebrow confused. "Oh? I know there's more to it than that."

"You're right, I just never thought about it. I guess it's because this is how I really am?" I said in thought.

"Then why are you so different in school?"

"Do you know Mizuki Saito?"

"The freshman?" He asked and I nodded. "I know her, she hangs out with Kari and them."

"She's my sister." I smiled sadly.

"Your sister?" His eyes widened slightly.

"Yeah, her parents adopted me before she was born because of some issues but they were able to get pregnant with her 3 years later. Ever since then with me being adopted I was kinda casted aside. Then, my father left my mother for another and she started to take her anger out on me." I saw Syaoran visibly flinch and I shook my head smiling sadly.

"Never physically, always verbally. But either way my mother hated any time I would overshadowed Mizuki. It was never on purpose; for example I would get straight 100's while she got 98's. I made the cheerleading squad and she didn't. Those kind of dumb things. So my mother made sure tell me how worthless I am every day, at all times."

"So you like to stay out of the way and stay in the background." Syaoran finished for me and I smiled sadly again.

"Exactly." I said and Syaoran looked at me with what seemed pity and I rolled my eyes at him.

"Don't give me that pity look, I'm ok. I have Tomoyo and I'll turn eighteen next year as well as graduating. Me and Tomoyo are both applying for the Tokyo Art University and we're moving in together." I smiled excitedly and I swore I saw him smile a little but it was gone in a blink.

"Sorry If I bored you." I said after a couple minutes of silence.

"Stop that." He said seriously

"Stop what?"

"Apologizing for talking about yourself. I asked." He said gruffly and got up.

"Oh look the sun is setting." I said as I looked behind me. He turned and we both watched it dip behind the trees in silence.

"Let's go, you still have to pick up your car right?" He said walking to his car and I followed quietly.

"Thank you for lunch Li." I said as we rode back to the mall. "And for helping me out earlier." I added quietly.

"No problem" he said and I we didn't say anything else. He dropped me off at my jeep after driving past it at least twice.

"Sorry about that, I forgot where I parked. See you tomorrow at school?" I laughed.

"It's ok, See ya tomorrow." He said and drove off after I got in my car. I drove home singing along to the radio and sighed in relief when I didn't see my mother's car.

I got home and changed into grey sweats, a black tank top and a messy bun. I put in my headphones and began to make dinner. My mother and sister got home by the time dinner was done and I served them each a plate of pasta.

They took their plates without single word to me and sat down in the dining room chatting as soon as they were alone. I grabbed a plate for myself and left for the dining room. My mother and sister quieted down as I entered and I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. I grabbed the book I had left at the end of the table and went upstairs to my room to eat in peace.

I finished eating and decided to shower and get ready for bed. After washing the dishes, I lit the candles in my room and listened to music as picked up one of my books. My phone rang and Tomoyo's picture lit up my screen.

"Yo" I said putting down my book and walking over to my window.

"Hey Sakura" Tomoyo greeted and I leaned out my window looking up at the stars.

"How was lunch with Meiling? Thanks for ditching me by the way." I joked and I heard her giggle on the other side.

"It was good, we went to a cafe downtown and next time you have to come with! They have a strawberry shortcake that it's to die for." I smiled and listened to her rattle on about the cafe.

"Oh by the way how was lunch with Li-kun?" Tomoyo asked trying to sound nonchalant but I knew better.

"It wasn't bad, we got drive thru and spent the afternoon at penguin park." I said and even as I said it, it sounded surreal. Had I really spent the whole day with Li? And even confided in him about my home life? It seemed almost comical.

Bad Bod and Ice Demon Syaoran Li had spent his afternoon with Nobody and Invisible Sakura Kinomoto listening to her rant about her terrible home at penguin park; complete with watching the sunset and everything.

"It sounds nice. I'm surprised though, Meiling says he always takes girls to fancy restaurants." Tomoyo said as I snapped back from my thoughts.

"I asked him for it, but he did mention something like that. I'll see you tomorrow 'Moyo." I said coming back into my room and blowing out my candles.

"Alright Saku, I'll see you tomorrow. I'll pick up coffee in the morning. Goodnight." She said and I said my goodbyes as well and hung up.I layed down and left my speakers on playing softly and let the music lull me to sleep.

A/N: Days will be going quicker than this guys but I just needed their relationship go from strangers to somewhat acquaintances. Next chapter (which I'm already working on) will have more EriolxTomoyo as well as some other characters.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Hey guys, sorry for the long wait but my vacation is done and I'm back at my full-time job / Either way, sorry this chapter is a little on the short side I'll make it up with an extra long one next time. Please remember to RR!

-DarkAngel :3

- _Sakura's POV_ -

Tomoyo was already waiting for me by the parking lot when I pulled in, it was Monday and the sun looked too bright for the morning to be so chilly.

Tomoyo wore a white knit dress, navy blue tights and brown boots looking every inch gorgeous with her hair down. I sported my regular jeans and hoodie but today's was dark green as well as my chucks.

She handed me a cup of warm tea as she sipped on her cappuccino.

"Morning Sakura-chan!" She chirped happily.

"Morning." I grumbled and stifled a yawn. I was definitely not a morning person. I sipped on my hot tea and sighed in pleasure as I tasted it. We stopped by Tomoyo's locker first and were surprised to see Meiling leaning against mine.

"Morning! Did you know how difficult it was to find your locker? I wasn't kidding when I said you're hard to find" She ranted as we approached her. "Hadn't it been for Syaoran I would've-"

"Li?" I interrupted

"How did Li-kun know where Sakura's locker was?" Tomoyo asked curiously taking my cup to hold,as I opened my locker and got my books for the day.

"He's your neighbor" Meiling said as she pointed to the locker to my right.

"Since when?" I asked as I shut my locker door and leaned against it.

"This year, he had to get a locker change since he kept getting love letters to the point he couldn't even open it properly." Meiling laughed and I just shook my head. Tomoyo giggled as she handed me back my tea.

"Well i'm off to creative writing, English, whatever. We're at the Library this week and we're already by it." I said adjusting my messenger bag.

"We'll see you at lunch." Meiling and Tomoyo smiled walking in the direction of their classes.

I walked into the library and sat in the same table I sat on Friday. I grabbed my notebook and took a look at the notes I'd written on Friday and tried to get a theme out of it. Before the late bell rang Syaoran came strolling in casually in a black muscle shirt, dark jeans and black converse. His pony-tail was loose and his eyes seemed tired. He dropped in the chair next to me and all eyes were on us.

Damn! The breakup was still a fresh gossip, no wonder they kept looking. Syaoran grunted and I caught him nodding at me in acknowledgment. I nodded back and looked down again to my notebook. I could already hear the whispers around us but if there was one thing I had learned about being in the shadows was to mind my own business.

Syaoran drummed his fingers against the table lightly as he listened to his music and I chewed my bottom lip trying to figure out a good theme based on appearances.

"Don't judge a book by it's cover." Syaoran said quietly interrupting me out of my daydream. I looked at him confused but he just looked away and continued to listen to music. I looked down to my notebook and understood what he meant. He gave me an idea for the theme and a good one too, whether I wanted to admit it or not.

I wrote down the theme and started to write down everything that I'd write in the PowerPoint. I'd have to use the computers in the library but we were still going to be here tomorrow so that wasn't an issue. I wrote notes on the margin of my notebook as to how I wanted each PowerPoint or if I wanted pictures.

The rest of the period slipped by quietly and so did the rest of my classes. After gaining almost 2 hours of homework from Japanese, Astronomy, chemistry and Math, it was finally time for lunch. Tomoyo and I went on line as usual and I had my regular fruit salad and yogurt as Tomoyo grabbed a salad with dressing.

We chatted idly and paid for our food. I caught Meiling waving at us from an empty round table and glanced at Tomoyo who smiled at me. I shrugged and walked over to Meiling who smiled as we sat.

"I think this is the first time I've seen Sakura sitting at the cafeteria." Tomoyo joked lightly and I rolled my eyes in return. We all laughed and continued to eat and joke around before Meiling stood up and began to wave someone over to our table. I glanced back and saw Syaoran headed in our direction grudgingly.

- _Syaoran's POV-_

I bought myself a slice of pizza and looked around for an empty table. Kari and her crew leered at me and I rolled my eyes just as Meiling waved me over to her table. I noticed her company but decided it was better than the leering girls.

I plopped myself down next her and muttered a hi to the two girls. Daidoji smiled at me while Kinomoto just nodded. They continued talking as I ate my pizza silently.

"Meiling, maybe you can convince Sakura to submit one of her drawings or paintings for the student art show at the Fall Festival." Daidoji said gaining a groan from Kinomoto.

" 'Moyo I already told you. They're not good enough." She said as she ate her fruit.

"Come on Sakura! You really can't believe that, can you?" Daidoji persisted and Sakura just sighed and nodded.

"Can I see one of your drawings Sakura?" Meiling asked already finished with her bento. Kinomoto hesitated before nodding yes slowly and pulling out a sketch pad from her bag.

She handed it to Meiling looking a little embarrassed and went to eat her yogurt.

Meiling looked through the pages and smiled "You don't know what you're talking about. These are amazing!" I glanced over to the sketchbook and saw a sketch of an angel, wings spread wide with its back to us. It was beautiful, no wonder Daidoji was pushing her.

"They're ok." She said and I raised an eyebrow at her. She saw the question in my eyes and nodded before focusing on her yogurt again. So yes, she couldn't participate because it would bring in trouble from her mother and sister. If Meiling and Daidoji saw the exchange they didn't comment on it.

"Why don't you try submitting one anonymously?" I asked her and she looked up a little surprised.

"Anonymously? Can I do that?" She asked.

"Should be able to, right Mei?" I asked knowing Meiling would know since she was part of the Performing Arts department.

"Yes! There's no rules against it." Meiling said smiling happily and we all turned to look at her. She looked at each of us before groaning and throwing her hands up.

"Fine. I'll submit one." She said and Meiling and Daidoji cheered. She glared in my direction but I just smirked and took a sip from my coke. The girls chatted animatedly for the rest of the period while I listened to my music. Sakura pulled a book and checked out of the conversation about 5 minutes later.

"Bye guys." Meiling and Tomoyo said as they left for class after lunch, 'was it me or had they gotten close really quick?' I thought to myself.

"Tomoyo has a lot of the same classes as Meiling, so now that they're friends they got close really fast." Kinomoto said as if reading my mind. We walked to History together since we had the same schedule.

"Meiling seems to really like you guys." I said hitching up my backpack.

"I like her too, I mean she did save from some drunk dude." She smiled and I chuckled a little.

"She grew up around boys, that's the reason why she is the way she is. We trained with all 8 of our other cousins when we were little and she was the only girl there." I explained.

"Really?" Kinomoto asked in awe.

"Yeah, we are all around the same age range so it was fun sometimes but she did have to take some extra lessons because she was a girl." I smirked remembering a Young Meiling complaining about how boys didn't have to wear heels so why should she.

"I can imagine Meiling complaining about it." She smirked and we walked into class taking our seats.

- _Sakura's POV_ -

I went to work on the mural after History and was surprised to see Hiragizawa already there.

"Hey." I said as I tied my smock and walked over to get my supplies.

"Hi Kinomoto-san, I'm sorry I didn't say much on Friday I wasn't feeling well." He smiled gently.

"Sakura is fine, don't worry about it." I smiled back.

"Please call me Eriol as well, Sakura-san." Eriol smiled once again and headed towards the sharks that were half way done.

"You don't have a class right now?" I asked deciding to work on the fishes near the bottom.

"No, every other day this is a free period so I thought I'd come in early to apologize. By the way were you at Kari's party this Saturday?" He tried to ask casually but I knew better.

"Yes I was, why?" I feigned innocence.

"I'm looking for someone I met, thought you might know her. Blue dress, white mask?"

"Sorry I can't remember but I'll keep an ear out, you know how girls are." I joked lightly and he chuckled.

"I know she'll be at the Halloween ball after the Fall Festival but I don't even know what to look for." He said sadly.

"Tell you what, I'll look for your mystery girl but if she decides to keep it a secret until the ball you can't hassle me about it. But I'll at least find what she'll be going as." I said not looking away from my work but smiling knowing he'd take the bait.

"Thank you Sakura-san, I'll owe you one." He smiled and we continued to work chatting every now and then. We'd been working for a while when Eriol asked me for my opinion on the sharks.

I stepped back and jumped a little as the great white shark smiled down at me just like he had in the movie, the other two sharks by his side.

"That's so good Eriol!" I said in awe.

"Thank you Sakura-San" Eriol said and a loud thud sounded behind us. Syaoran looked annoyed, almost angry but Eriol just smiled as if he knew something I didn't.

"Well you can finish the fishes at the bottom and I'll finish the turtles at the top." I said taking out my headphones and plugging them into my phone. Syaoran had yet to say anything but put on his smock regardless and began to work on the ocean blue background. I stood on the ladder and began to work on the turtles again.

The time went by slowly but the air wasn't as bad as Friday; granted they still didn't talk to each other but it was only half as tense now. I hummed quietly and focused on the turtles. Before I knew it the bell rang and I started to climb down the stairs, Eriol holding it in place for me with one hand. I took my time washing the brushes since I drove home either way.

"Later Sakura-san." Eriol said smiling.

"Bye Eriol." I smiled back and went back to the brushes. A couple minutes went by before Syaoran spoke up.

"Since when are you and my cousin so close?" He spat out while I put my smock away.

"Cousin? You mean Eriol?" I asked confused and slung my messenger bag. I turned to leave and Syaoran followed.

"Yes, him." He bit out and we made our way to our lockers.

"He just asked me if I knew a girl he danced with at the party." I said and opened my locker switching what I needed.

"Well for something so small he seemed pretty comfortable with you calling by your first name." He said slamming the door.

"I didn't even know he was your cousin but I told him he could call me by my first name, Li" I said slamming my door now. Why did Syaoran cared either way? I thought to myself. I noticed he was struggling with something internally as I held his gaze.

"Why do you care?" I asked voicing my thoughts.

"I don't." He said cooly.

"Then why are acting like you do?" I asked and walked past him towards the exit.

He didn't make a move to follow and I was glad for it. We weren't even friends yet he seemed to care whether Eriol called me by my name or not. I hadn't know they were cousins but that explained a lot of their issues, and it was a more valid excuse than the whole girlfriend story. I hopped in my jeep and drove home listening to music quietly.

-Syaoran's POV-

'She's right.' I thought to myself as I saw Kinomoto walk away. I walked to my car and sped home not wanting to face myself. No matter how many times I went over it in my head there was no reasonable explanation for my behavior earlier. It had to be because it was Hiragizawa.

I stripped of my clothes and changed into my martial arts clothes. I went down to my personal dojo in the basement and decided vent some of my frustration into my training. An hour and a half later, I was dripping with sweat and my muscles ached but at least my mind was better.

I chose to avoid thinking about school or it's events all night, it wasn't until I was trying to fall asleep that they came up. I'd been acting strange all day, from helping Meiling find Kinomoto's locker, to convincing Kinomoto to submit her art for the student show, to getting upset at hearing my cousin be so familiar with her.

I sighed and sat down at my desk. After powering on my laptop I decided to help out with my part of the Creative Writing project and began to make the PowerPoint presentation. I remembered Kinomoto's notes from her notebook and after an hour the presentation was done and loaded onto my flash drive.I layed down once more but this time I fell asleep easily.

A/N: I promise to make in length for the next chapter, just wanted to give you guys a little something. Thank you for your reviews and I'll see you next time :3


	5. Chapter 5

A/n: This chapter is focused a little more on the relationship between Eriol and Syaoran since I need them to be on better terms before I go on with the Main plot as well as introduce some new characters.

Anyways sorry for the ramble and Thank You so much for following along this far and for your reviews, they make me want to write more and mean the world to me. :3

~RR~

-DarkAngel

- _Syaoran's POV-_

I walked into the library and I saw Kinomoto sitting in the same table as yesterday. Today's hoodie was red. I sported a grey v-neck, dark jeans and black high-top vans, I'd left my jacket in my locker. I hitched up my backpack and dropped the green flash drive in front of her before taking a seat.

She looked at me clearly confused and I rolled my eyes.

"I did my part." I said simply and plugged in my headphones, the music flowing through them. She shrugged, used to my demeanor already, took the flash drive and headed for one of the Library's computers.

The rest of day went by uneventfully. I sat with girls again at lunch, Meiling and Daidoji chatted animatedly while Kinomoto and I commented every now and then before she went back to her book and I went back to my music. I painted with Kinomoto and Hiragizawa and we actually made good progress, the wall would be done by Friday.

I went home and threw myself on the bed and decided to get started on my homework before doing some training.

 _Couple Hours Later*_

I turned around sword in hand with its tip at the intruders neck, I opened my eyes and withdrew the sword dumbfounded at who stood before me.

"Why are you here?" I asked, I was dripping with sweat even though my shirt laid discarded somewhere.

"I came here to talk." Hiragizawa said calmly.

"No." I said as I pushed past him but he put a hand on my shoulder stopping me. I didn't think before I shrugged him off and attacked him, he blocked quickly. We fought for a while, switching between offense and defense until a cough interrupted us from the doorway.

"Syaoran-sama , Eriol-sama, dinner will be ready for you in the playroom in 15 minutes. Your mother will not be dining with you tonight." Wei announced before turning and leaving, he left no room for argument. It wasn't like my mother ever ate with me regardless.

I sighed before grabbing my shirt and leaving, Hiragizawa trailing behind. With both us dripping in sweat, I left to my room to shower while Hiragizawa did the same. He used to spend so much time here and sleep over so much, he eventually took the guest room across from mine as his own.

As I changed into black sweats and a white shirt, Wei had set up dinner in the playroom down the hall. Hiragizawa emerged from his room at the same time I did and we both just stood there. There was so much to said, but we just stood there silently before walking down the hall.

This seemed too familiar, training and sparring together, then showering and eating dinner in the playroom instead of the vast dining room. The playroom was basically a man cave. Pool table, foosball table, old arcade games, a giant TV with the latest video game consoles, you name it the playroom had it. A bar, with more than just soda, sat in a corner and on the opposite side sat 6 bean bag chairs with a low table in the middle.

I sat on the green beanbag chair out of habit and Hiragizawa sat in the blue one across from me, out of habit too I suppose. We ate in silence, each of us too absorbed in our own thoughts. After we finished eating, I went to the bar and poured myself a coke and rum before pouring him a gin and tonic. With both drinks in hand I put them down on the table and looked at him expectantly.

He knew what the drink meant; I was going to listen to him.

"We need to stop fighting." He said calmly before taking a sip of his drink.

"Why now? After almost 4 years of not talking." I glared at him.

"Syaoran what happened then was-" He said, his eyes soft.

"You mean when you backstabbed me and left me by myself in the middle of a mission?!" I yelled at him, my anger getting the best out of me now.

"It was your mother! Ok? Your mother made me do it!" He said sternly and I looked at him in disbelief.

"What?" I asked after a moment of silence.

He took a long gulp of his drink before putting it down on the table. "Auntie Yelan, thought you needed to learn how to be on your own so she had me abandon you in the middle of mission so you could fend for yourself."

It hit me like a ton of bricks to the face. Of course my mother would think that, after all the Li clan stood before anything and anyone.

 _*Flashback*_

 _Eriol and I leaned on a pillar of the grand ballroom. We were currently at the birthday ball of a rival's daughter. The mission given by my mother was simple: distract the pawn, get in her father's office, crack the safe, and retrieve the documents inside._

 _This girl had a particular crush on Eriol so we used it to our advantage. The plan was for Eriol to seduce her while I got the documents and it was nothing we hadn't done before. We each set to work and I could see the girl giggling at whatever Eriol was whispering in her ear. I caught his eye and nodded before disappearing in the shadows._

 _I got the office and began to search for the safe, until I finally found it hidden behind a painting. 'Amateur' I thought to myself and got to cracking. As I pulled it open an alarm went off and I could hear footsteps rushing down the call. I called on my ear piece to Eriol but only got silence._

 _I cursed and grabbed the documents before opening the window behind the desk and leaping out. I had memorized the layout of the house and knew there were bushes underneath it. I landed softly but it still knocked the wind out of me._

 _I slowly got up and glanced inside from the window to my right. There I saw Eriol Hiragizawa shaking hands with our rival, as our rival thanked him for the tip about the robbery._

 _*End Flashback*_

"So you tipped him about the robbery because my mother told you to?" I asked in disbelief.

"No, I tipped him off about the robbery because she threatened me to. She said if I didn't do it she'd send you back to China with the Elders, and we both know she doesn't play." He explained calmly.

"But why now? Why tell me all of this now?" I asked exasperatedly.

"Because I don't care anymore. She told me to keep quiet but she knew you wouldn't speak to me after I betrayed you."

"What happened?" I knew there was more to the story than he let on.

"She wants me to become engaged to some English brat once I turn 21. She just announced it to me today, which is the reason I was here in the first place. I tried to protest but-"

"She wouldn't have it." I finished knowing just how cruel my mother could be and he nodded sadly. After a long silence, I grabbed my drink and downed it in one gulp. Eriol did the same with his drink and looked up at me expectantly.

"Friends?" He asked standing and stretching out his hand.

"Brothers." I confirmed and stood with him before pulling him in and clapping his back. We smiled at each other and did our secret handshake.

"Surprised you still remember." He joked as we made our way to the TV.

"Remember? I invented it." I said proudly and popped in Street Fighter for us to play.

"Oh, also I need your help with something." He said with Cheshire smile.

"Oh no." I rolled my eyes playfully "That smile always got me in trouble. What is it?"

"You'll see." was all he said before we started to game our night away and catch up on almost 4 years.

- _Tomoyo's POV-_

"By the way I forgot to tell you 'Moyo but Eriol was asking about you." Sakura said with a smirk on her face. We were both currently at my house, on one of the rare occasions Sakura could come over, both her sister and mother were out for the afternoon.

She was moving about in the kitchen making dinner for us two as well as Meiling who was on her way. I didn't know what she was making but it smelled delicious.

"Tomoyo-sama, someone is here to see you." A maid said formally.

"Let them in, I'm expecting them." I smiled and she bowed and left.

"Tomoyo! You never told me you were rich!" Meiling exclaimed as she walked into the kitchen.

"Like you aren't richer than me?" I teased and she looked away knowing it was true.

"Hey Meiling." Sakura called from the stove.

"Hey Sakura, what are you making?" She asked as she took a seat next to me at the breakfast bar.

"Dim sum." She said without even turning around.

"You should make enough for lunch tomorrow." Meiling said and winked at me. I caught on.

"Oh my gosh! Yes, please Sakura, you know how nasty the cafeteria food is." I whined and Meiling smirked.

"Fine" she said and me and Meiling looked quietly high-fived.

"I know this is out of the way but could you make some for my cousin too? He barely eats anything home cooked." Meiling asked sweetly and Sakura turned around.

"Really?" She asked raising an Eyebrow.

"Yes, my auntie Yelan never eats with him so he always ends up eating whatever so the staff doesn't have to make an entire dinner just for him." She explained and I understood where he came from.

Sakura knew it too, how I barely ever had a home cooked meal or ate with my mother too for that matter.Her eyes softened a fraction and after taking a glance at me she nodded.

"Oh yes! What did Eriol ask?" I asked excitedly.

"He asked me if I knew a girl he danced with at the party, blue dress and white mask." She smirked and we laughed. Meiling had already been put up to date about the plan.

"And?" Meiling asked.

"I told him no but because girls tended to talk a lot I'd keep an ear out also that in case I did find her, I'd keep her a secret if she wanted to but I'd at least find out what she would go as to the Halloween ball." She explained.

"Sakura you're the best!" I smiled and she smiled back. "By the way I'm almost done making your costumes."

"You're making me one too?" Meiling asked excitedly.

"Of course!" I smiled, stars in my eyes.

"So what am I?" Sakura said trying to be sly.

"Ha ha, nice try but it's all a secret until the day of." I joked and she scowled before turning back to the food.

"The Halloween ball is only 3 weeks away, is not that long." Meiling said excitedly.

"Yeah but knowing Tomoyo I don't know what I'll end up looking like." Sakura complained lightly.

"I mean if you wore something else besides those hoodies, people wouldn't stare so much when you don't." I joked and she rolled her eyes. We both knew she just didn't like to stand out.

I stood to set up the small table in the kitchen and Meiling followed to help. It was better than the enormous dining room in the mansion.

Sakura served 3 giant plates of dim sum and a bowl of salad."Their different flavors." She smiled and we sat down to eat.

"This. Is. Amazing." Meiling said dramatically and I giggled.

"Thank you." Sakura said shyly and I absolutely loved her face when she said it. She rarely showed her vulnerable side.

"No, seriously, I'm Chinese and when I say these are amazing, I mean they are amazing." She said with a contented sigh as she ate another one. Sakura blushed and I giggled.

"Oh yeah, did you guys want to come over on Saturday? Some of other girls from the performing arts department are coming." Meiling asked.

"Who's coming?" I asked interested.

"Chiharu, Naoko and Rika, you know them Tomoyo right?"

"Oh yes, they actually helped me out with the invitations to Kari's party." I remembered " I'm in, can you get out Saku?"

"Yeah, the witches are never home on the weekends." She joked and I laughed. Sakura filled Meiling in about her mother and sister as we finished our food.

After we were done eating, Sakura began to pack away the remaining food in bento boxes. " 'Moyo where are the cloths to wrap 'em up?"

"Oh in the pantry by laundry room." I said and she left.

"So why pack your cousin some too?" I whispered curiously.

"Dim Sum is his favorite." She whispered back and we shared a smile knowingly. Sakura came back and finished wrapping up the 4 bentos.

"Red is for Meiling, Violet is yours Tomoyo, pink is mine and green is Li's" she said and I put them in the fridge.

"Don't worry, I can ask the lunch ladies to warm them up, they do it for me all the time." Meiling smiled and I smiled in return. Meiling's phone began to rang and she picked up after looking at the caller ID.

"Sup Syaoran." She answered the phone. "What? That's awesome!...I'm so happy… Of course he can sit there Tomorrow…. great...ok...see you tomorrow...bye."

"Your cousin?" Sakura asked.

"Yes, he finally made up with Eriol after almost 4 years of fighting." She beamed.

"That's great." I said enthusiastically.

"Yup, and Eriol will also be sitting with us tomorrow at lunch." She announced happily and my face went bright with a blush.

"Isn't that great Tomoyo?" Sakura beamed at me and my blush got deeper. "Oh, but there's no more leftovers for him Tomorrow."

"Why don't you pack him something?" Meiling nudged at me.

"Me? Oh no, I could never." I said shyly.

"Come on, it's a one in a lifetime opportunity." Sakura said and I knew she wasn't kidding. "Plus you know what they say: The way to a man's heart is through his stomach."

"Then wait until my cousin tries your cooking." Meiling joked and Sakura glared at her.

"Ha ha, very funny." She remarked sarcastically.

"Ok, fine! I'll make him something in the morning. It's too late now." I said and looked at the clock that marked 10pm.

"Oh, shoot I have to get going but I'll see you guys tomorrow. I'll get coffee." Sakura said before hugging us each goodbye.

"I didn't even see her car out there." Meiling commented.

"Oh, she lives like 2 blocks down." I smiled and she got ready to leave as well. It had been a pleasant night and the house had felt more alive than ever. I went through my nightly routine and slipped into a sleeping gown before falling asleep thinking of what to make Eriol.

 _Next Morning*_

I had woken up extra early in order to make the bento and decided on something simple: Onigiri. After wrapping up the bento in a blue cloth I went upstairs and showered. I slipped on a white long sleeve, a navy blue high-waisted skater-skirt, white thigh high socks and brown block-heeled boots that reached my ankle. I let my hair down and curled the ends slightly, to complete my look.

I grabbed my bag and a large tote to carry the bentos and left to school in my white benz.

I parked my car and saw Sakura parking a couple cars down. After grabbing my bags I walked over to her, just as she closed her door with her hip. Her hoodies was black today and she held a tray with 4 drinks on it.

"Morning 'Moyo." She smiled as she saw me.

"Morning Sakura, what's with the drinks?" I greeted her as she passed me a cappuccino.

"Iced coffee for Meiling, Black Coffee for Li." She explained casually but I knew there was more to it so I digged on it.

"Coffee for Li-kun?" I asked sweetly and she sighed exasperated.

"He did the whole PowerPoint for the presentation by himself and I wanted to thank him so I called Meiling this morning and she told me his order." She grumbled and I giggled at her attitude. She didn't want to admit it but they were becoming friends, in a weird way.

 _Sakura's POV*_

We walked to my locker, after stopping by Tomoyo's shortly and were surprised to see Syaoran and Eriol chatting with Meiling in front of my locker.

"Good Morning, Sakura, Tomoyo." Meiling greeted, while Syaoran nodded at us and Eriol smiled kindly. She looked beautiful in a red and black Chinese-styled shirt, black jeans, and red flats, her long black hair piled into two buns held up by chopsticks.

"Morning." I grumbled and gave Meiling her iced coffee. I took my iced tea before taking the hot black coffee and offering it to Syaoran.

"Here" I said quietly and that's when I noticed no one around us was talking. Everyone had their eyes on us. It wasn't every day you saw two enemies become friends over night or the Infamous Syaoran Li accept a coffee from Nobody Sakura Kinomoto. Syaoran looked at me a little bewildered before taking it and I threw away the tray.

"Um, thanks." He said unsurely.

"It's for making the PowerPoint." I said and went to open my locker.

Everyone's eyes were still on us and I grew annoyed. I slammed my locker door loudly, that seemed to break them from their trance and started to do their own thing again.

"Nicely done, Sakura." Eriol Joked lightly. "You are Tomoyo Daidoji, correct?" He said directing his attention to Tomoyo.

"Um, yes Tomoyo is fine." She said quietly.

"A pleasure Tomoyo, I've heard good things about you from Meiling. Please, call me Eriol as well." He smiled gently and Syaoran looked away rolling his eyes.

"Oh yeah, you guys don't have to buy lunch today." Meiling announced proudly.

"Why not?" Syaoran asked gruffly.

"Just don't, we got it covered." She smiled, took the tote bag from Tomoyo and left towards class.

"Can I walk you to class, Tomoyo?" Eriol asked kindly and Tomoyo nodded shyly.

"So you and Eriol seem to be ok now." I commented as we made our way to the library.

"We talked it out and it ended up being a misunderstanding." He said before taking a sip from his coffee. "How'd you know I like black coffee?"

"Meiling told me." I said simply and walked in silence the rest of the way. Murmurs could be heard throughout the hall but they quieted down once Syaoran glared at them.

Classes went by in a blur and pretty soon it was lunch. Tomoyo and Eriol were already at our table by the time I got there, they were speaking to each other in hushed tones and smiled as I approached them.

" 'Sup guys." I greeted and Tomoyo blushed as I caught her eye. They had been flirting non-stop since this morning.

"Meiling is heating up the lunches and Li-kun just walked in." She said pointing behind me.

It had to be a damn crime to look so good in a black long sleeve and dark jeans; I mean Eriol looked nice in a navy blue turtleneck and khakis, but while Eriol looked like he was ready to meet your mom and help you study for you exams, Syaoran looked like a straight up bad boy.He sat down as Meiling came up to the table with our lunches.

" Lunch is here." She announced as she sat down and handed everyone their perspective lunch. "The only different one is Eriol's." She said and Tomoyo blushed on cue.

"Can you get me a drink Syaoran?" Meiling asked almost too sweetly and he rolled his eyes. He stood and Eriol followed.

"We'll get everyone's drink." Eriol offered before leaving.

"So why onigiri?" I asked curiously.

"Easy to make plus it won't make it seem like I'm trying TOO hard." She said sweetly and I looked at her in a new light; maybe she wasn't as shy as she led on.

The boys came back with drinks in hand.

"Here you go a Tomoyo" Eriol said placing a fruit juice in front of Tomoyo. Syaoran merely grunted and placed a Dr. Pepper before Meiling and a Coke in front of me.

"How-" I started to ask how he knew what I wanted before he interrupted.

"Fast food place." He said simply and proceeded to open his bento as did everyone else. His eyes went as wide as saucers in joy and after a quick 'itadakimasu' he dug in.

"We found out you were going to eat with us after we had already made these, so Tomoyo made your lunch Eriol." Meiling explained as he opened his lunch with a smile.

We ate in silence for a couple minutes before Syaoran surprisingly interrupted it.

"Meiling when did you learn to make Dim Sum this good? I mean this is better than Wei's, don't tell I said that though. You have my blessing to marry off." He joked and I swore I had never seen him as happy as he looked. He was actually smiling, not the sarcastic smirk he always had, but an actual tiny smile. My stomach did a weird flip as I watched him.

"Well you actually just gave your blessing to Sakura." Meiling smirked.

His face went through so many expressions before settling in shock, I burst out laughing. Like loud, knee slapping, laughing. My belly hurt and I had to wipe a tear from my eye as I finally settled down.

"I'm sorry, your expressions were just really funny just now." I said as I calmed down. He looked at me in a mix of bewilderment and amazement.

"I think that's the most expressive you've ever been Syaoran." Meiling joked and we laughed.

"So it's good?" I asked quietly and he nodded before starting to eat again.

"It's really good Sakura-san." Eriol said and I saw him and Tomoyo had shared their lunches.

"Thank you." I blushed lightly not used to as many compliments and we all went back to eating and chatting.

-Syaoran's POV-

I looked up at Kinomoto and could believe she had the ability to cook something so good, and then her laugh. Her laugh sounded so carefree and beautiful, he could listen to her laugh forever. I shook my head at the thought.

"So it's good?" She asked quietly, I looked up to find expectant Emerald eyes and I nodded.

"It's really good Sakura-san." I heard Eriol said and my heart did a weird jump, just like it had when I heard her laughter, as I saw a small blush creep up to her face.

"Thank you" she mumbled and the rest of lunch went by quickly.

A/N: Next chapter will focus on EriolxTomoyo and then the main plot will finally develop. 'Till next time :3


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Hey guys Thank you, thank you, thank you for your reviews the mean the world. Sorry I'm updating so late I'll be updating again soon. I know I promised a TxE chapter but that will be the next one . I promise! Anyways Thank you again and Enjoy :3

~RR~

~ **DarkAngel**

- _Sakura's POV-_

It was already Saturday and I hurried to finish cleaning the house. Tomoyo had agreed to pick me up so we could head over to Meiling's house around 5 and it was currently 3:30. My sister had left earlier claiming to go sleep over at a friends and my mother had left shortly claiming not to make dinner for her either. It had been a relief and I continued my cleaning routine.

After I finished, I showered and changed into my usual skinny jeans and a grey hoodie. Tomoyo pulled up shortly after and we rode singing along to the radio.

"You weren't lying when you said she was richer than you." I said in awe as we pulled up to Meiling's mansion. It easily doubled Kari's McMansion and that was already a lot. We rang the doorbell and a maid let us in and bowed as she went to announce our arrival. She led us to the west wing where Meiling's room was and left as we knocked on the door.

"Come in!" Meiling yelled and we stepped in. Meiling's room screamed her in every single way. Everything coordinated in the colors red, white and black. She had a mini lounge to my left made up of leather couches and a coffee table and the right side of the room had a complete DJ booth. Her large canopy bed rested at the end wall and a walk in closet could be seen to right as well.

Meiling and all the other girls were seated on the couches.

"Hey Sakura, Tomoyo. These are Naoko Yanagizawa, Rika Sasaki and Chiharu Mihara." She said pointing to the three girls around her.

Naoko wore glasses and her hair was up to her shoulders. I had seen her around school and I remembered Tomoyo saying something about her being the drama director,writing the plays each year and directing the newspaper club. She currently wore a white short-sleeved button down blouse paired with khaki capris and brown ballet flats, her hair sported a pale yellow headband.

Rika's dark brown hair was wavy and up to mid-back. She looked elegant and sophisticated in her black blazer, burgundy silk blouse, high-waisted burberry plaid shorts and Oxford shoes. I believed Meiling mentioned she played Piano as well as danced ballet.

Chiharu wore an olive green sundress with matching flip-flops and her long wavy hair was in low pigtails. She was part of the A.V club along with boyfriend Yamazaki. I once had math class with them and it seemed funny how she'd strangle her boyfriend anytime he'd make up a lie, which was often.

They all smiled warmly and we smiled back.

"Girls, these are Sakura Kinomoto and Tomoyo Daidoji." Meiling introduced and we took a seat with them. We actually became friends quickly. After being introduced we decided to call each other by first name and talked about everything from boys to clothes to school.

Meiling's phone rang across the room and she stood to get it.

"Hey girls, that was Ryuji. He and a couple of his friends are going down to the mall to eat and then hit the arcade and was wondering if me and a couple of friends wanted to come with." She said deviously.

"Like a mixer?" Chiharu asked.

"Yeah, something like that. Takashi is with them and he gave them the idea since he knew you'd be here." Meiling said and Chiharu blushed lightly.

"Well then I don't mind, what about you girls?" Chiharu asked looking at us.

"I'm down." Naoko and Rika said in unison then burst out laughing.

I glanced at Tomoyo who looked unsure.

"Oh wait." Meiling announced and dialed someone's number. "Hey Eriol! Do you want want to come to the mall with me and my friends? We're meeting some guys there… yes like a mixer (she rolled her eyes at that)...Tomoyo will be there…Me, Rika, Chiharu, Naoko, and Sakura...is that Syaoran in the background?... he can come too if he wants...in half an hour… we're going to eat first… ok… ok… see ya… bye."

"So you're coming right?" Meiling smiled evilly and Tomoyo blushed.

"We're coming." I answered for us and gave Tomoyo an encouraging nod.

"Awesome! I knew that would convince her." She said wiggling her eyebrows suggestively and we all laughed at her antics.

"But we gotta hurry and change! We only have half an hour." Meiling said and left to her closet.

"Change?" I questioned.

"Yeah, come on! We're all like the same size." She sounded muffled from the closet. Meiling reappeared with a couple outfits in hand and threw them on the bed.

Rika went over to Meiling's vanity and turned on the straightener and curling wand. Chiharu pulled a giant case of makeup from somewhere and Naoko had already started to look at the outfits on the bed.

"My guess is you guys do this often?" I sweat-dropped.

"We have a tendency of sneaking out to go to teen clubs." Meiling said and I could see from the look in the girl's eyes that for rich girls they had a wild streak. "Come on Tomoyo, I know you're the real fashion expert."

Tomoyo stood and went over to Meiling's closet to help her chose the outfits while I stayed on the couch and read an ebook on my phone.

"Sakura!" Tomoyo squealed jerking me away from my book.

"What's up?" I asked in a dazed.

"You're the only one that's not ready!" Meiling said and ushered me to her closet to change into the outfit Tomoyo had picked out from me. Meiling's closet was easily bigger than my room, a giant floor-to-ceiling mirror at the back. I changed into the outfit and thanked god Tomoyo had chosen it.

I stepped out and the girls squealed in delight.

"Oh my gosh! You look so cute Sakura." Chiharu complemented and the girls nodded in agreement.

"Thank you" I smiled shyly.

"Come on! We only have 10 minutes." Rika said and sat me down in front of the vanity. "I'll leave your hair in your ponytail and just curl the ends since it would take too long to curl it all, your hair is just crazy long." Chiharu began to do my makeup as Rika worked on my hair.

"Umm, can you please keep the makeup light? I'm not used to wearing any." I mumbled shyly and Chiharu smiled kindly in comprehension. 10 minutes later we were all riding towards the mall.

-Syaoran's POV-

"Why am I going with you to this thing?" I complained for the hundredth time. We were currently on our way to meet Meiling and her friends, I had chosen to drive my car.

"Come on Syaoran, plus Sakura-san will be there." Eriol said slyly.

"Like I care." I said gruffly but I knew I was lying to myself, I was curious to see is she was wearing something different like that day at the mall. Curiosity. That was all. I mean yeah, she was actually nice to talk to, and we had become somewhat acquainted but that was it.

"Whatever you say Xiaolang." Eriol said and turned to the window. We arrived at the mall and walked over to the food court, Meiling said we'd all meet there. I spotted Yamazaki from my soccer team and a couple of his friends and headed in his direction.

"Syaoran, Eriol, what's up?" Yamazaki greeted.

"Nothing much Yamazaki, meeting up my cousin Meiling and her friends." I greeted back.

"Oh, us too." Yamazaki answered. "Oh these are Mikio, Hiroki, and Ryuji." He pointed to the three guys that stood with him. Ryuji had black long-ish hair and powder blue eyes, he wore dark jeans and a burgundy t-shirt. Hiroki had both brown hair and eyes and sported a pale blue polo and black jeans. Mikio's hair was long and black but gelled back, he wore a brown loose sweater and jeans. They all shook hands with us and we talked while waiting for the girls.

Yamazaki suddenly stopped in the middle of one of his lies (which was almost impossible) and stood wide eyed staring at something behind us. We turned around and saw why his jaw was on the floor. Meiling and her group of friends were approaching us and they looked like models on a runway. I was suddenly aware that every male's attention was on them and I felt my protective side try to show, after all I considered her like a little sister.

They weren't wearing anything provocative or anything of the sort they just made it look good. Meiling's wore a red v-neck with a black leather jacket over it, black skinny jeans and black high-heeled boots, she had curled some strands of her hair and had two mini buns held up by chopsticks. I recognized Chiharu, Yamazaki's girlfriend, in a burnt yellow oversized off the shoulder sweater, black tights and knee high black high-heeled boots, her wavy hair up in messy bun.

I also recognized Rika, one of Meiling's few female friends, she wore a white knitted dress with a scooped neck, brown stockings and brown high heeled boots, her hair in a half ponytail. I assumed the girl in the glasses was Naoko clad in an aqua blue shirt, white jacket and black jeans, white ballet flats adorned her feet and her hair was loosely curled and swept to the side.

I knew Eriol's mouth had gone dry as soon as he saw Daidoji. She currently wore a navy blue sweater dress, white tights and tan thigh-high high heeled boots. Her hair was straightened and let loose. Very light and natural makeup could be seen on the girls and all it really did was highlight and accentuate their natural beauty.

"Hey guys." Meiling said cheerfully as did the other girls. The guys said their hello's while I just merely nodded.

"Hey girls, I thought you said Sakura-San was coming too Meiling?" Eriol said as he walked over to stand next to Daidoji.

"I'm here, sorry I just needed to use the restroom." Kinomoto said from behind me and as I turned I felt my heart literally drop to my stomach. Long gone was the hoodie and jeans again and it was replaced with a tight black v-neck long sleeve, a forest green high-waisted skater skirt, black thigh-high socks and black block-heeled bondage boots. I remembered that skirt, I had given it to Meiling for Christmas last year but she claimed it didn't look good on her and threw it in the back of her closet, I had to admit it looked like it had been made for Kinomoto in the first place.

"Hi" she smiled softly and I almost forgot to respond.

"Hey." I grumbled and she made her way to stand next to Tomoyo.

 _Sakura's POV*_

How did he do it? How did he make a simple forest green muscle shirt, black jeans and a leather jacket look like he was shooting a Calvin Klein commercial. It had to be Illegal, I mean it should be. I had heard Tomoyo slightly swoon at the sight of Eriol in chinos and a navy blue v-neck and I rolled my eyes mentally.

"You guys look gorgeous." Ryuji complemented

taking Meiling by the waist and planting a kiss on her temple.

"Thank you." She smiled cheekily

"But you guys look like you're ready to do more than just food and games." He smirked and Meiling batted her lashes feigning innocence.

"Fine, after food and games we're going to the Black Rose Garden, it's a new teen club in Tokyo and it's supposed to be hot."

"Club?" I asked surprised.

"We decided it while you were changing so we forgot to tell you" Chiharu apologized.

"No, no it's fine, it's just I don't think it's such a good idea for me to go." I said thinking of how I had to get up early the next day to do my chores.

"Oh no Sakura! No if's or but's we did not come out looking this good for you to go home." Meiling declared and there was no room for argument.

"So where are going to eat?" Naoko asked. After a little discussion we ended up at an Italian restaurant where the boys picked up the check no matter how much we protested. We reached the arcade and everyone basically split up into couples, Chiharu and Yamazaki, Meiling and Ryuji, Naoko and Hiroki, Rika and Mikio, And Tomoyo and Eriol which basically left me with Syaoran.

I spotted a racing game and headed towards it. I sat down and after putting in a couple tokens began to play. I ended up in second place.

"Not bad, want to go against me?" Syaoran said behind me and I smiled. Game on. It had started out with the racing game before we moved on to skee-ball, then shooting hoops, then air hockey, we basically played everything there was to play.

We were both competitive, hating when we lost and taunting each other when we won. It was nice, we didn't say much at first but after a couple games we had gone from teasing each other to having full conversations and laughing. He was actually nice to talk to when you didn't have to pry the words out of him.

"47 kills, you lose Li." I taunted and laughed as he glared at the terminator game that we had been playing. He had gotten 46 kills and we had been tied for the first two rounds.

"Yeah, sure whatever but I still beat you in Air hockey." He smirked and bend down to pick up the tickets, we had a good amount by now.

"You're just mad I can shoot Aliens better than you can." I smirked and we headed to the prize counter.

"Oh please, try and beat me in Halo." He bragged and I rolled my eyes.

"If I had a system I'd definitely whoop your little rich boy booty." I joked and it was his turn to chuckle. That was the most I'd get out of him but I had to admit it gave me a warm feeling every time he did.

We reached the prize counter and Syaoran handed over all of our tickets.

"You have 450 tickets, let me know what you decide." The clerk said in a monotone voice before going back to his magazine.

"What do you want?" He asked me and I raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean? It's both of our tickets not just mine." I asked and he shrugged.

"There's nothing I really want."

"What about those?" I said and pointed at a set of small teddy bears. There was two of them one chocolate brown and the other one honey colored. The brown bear had a pink ribbon tied around its neck while the honey one had a green one. "That way we each get one plus they're exactly 450 tickets." I explained and he nodded.

The clerk got the teddy bears down for us and I reached for the honey one at the same time Syaoran reached for the chocolate one.

"Want to switch ribbons? Since yours is green?" He asked curiously.

"I think I'll keep it, that way you have to keep the pink one and remember that one day Sakura Kinomoto whopped your sorry butt." I joked and he smirked.

"Oh I'll remember and I'll definitely get my rematch." He joked and we laughed.

"What are you going to name your bear?" I asked and he looked at me in confusion.

"Name it?"

"Yes, name it." I rolled my eyes. "Oh, we're meeting up by the entrance." I said looking at a text from Naoko and we headed in that direction.

"Men don't name teddy bears." He said as if that was the most ridiculous thing he heard earning a playful punch from me on his arm.

"Fine then I'll name your bear Sakura" I smiled cheekily at him.

"Why is it named after you?" He asked amusedly.

"Because I won most of the tickets." I smirked and he glared at me.

"Fine, then your bear's name is Syaoran." He smirked smugly.

"I thought men didn't name bears." I smirked and saw him flinch.

"This is an exception." He glared again and I laughed.

We got to the entrance and everyone had already gathered there.

"Hey guys, we were just deciding how we're riding to the club since we all drove here separatedly" Meiling said excitedly.

"I rode with Tomoyo." I said noticing how close Tomoyo and Eriol were.

"I rode with Syaoran." Eriol said tearing his eyes away from her for two seconds.

"Then we'll do this: the girls can ride with boys and leave our cars here since this place is open 24/7 and we won't get towed, we'll pick them up tomorrow. Eriol can drive Tomoyo's car and Sakura can ride with Syaoran. Is that ok?" Meiling explained and looked at us expectantly. Tomoyo glanced in my direction and I read her eyes perfectly.

"I'm fine with it." Tomoyo said softly and smiled at me tenderly. I knew my best friend was probably dancing inside.

"I'm ok with it too." Syaoran said from beside me and after another round of agreements we were all on our way to Tokyo.

We parked a couple blocks away and all gathered together before walking to the club. We got to the place and Meiling, Syaoran and Eriol just cut the line and walked straight up to the bouncer. They spoke to him before he nodded at them and they waved us in. As soon as we stepped the music engulfed us. The club itself was actually beautiful with two floors and about 8 bars, four of them forming a circle in the middle.

Meiling led us to the second floor where after giving her last name was allowed in the VIP section and we followed. We came up to a large lounge area that overlooked the entire bottom floor. We all took a seat and waiter came to take our order.

"Don't worry, they won't ID you so order up it's on a tab." Meiling said and flashed a platinum card.

We got a round of drinks and and I chugged down my rum and coke.

"You ok Saks?" Rika asked seeing take down my drink.

"Yup, just needed it." I said and I realized that I really did after a day of nonstop chores.

"Alright ladies let's go!" Meiling smiled and we all stood and headed down to the first floor to dance.

A Beyoncé song played and we all looked at each other before heading to the dance floor excitedly singing along.

 _*Syaoran's POV_ *

The girls were tearing up the dance floor. They didn't even seem to notice but they had attracted a lot of attention to themselves. We all stood up with our drinks in hand and watched the scenery below. Suddenly five random guys approached the girls in attempt to dance with them. The girls merely skirted away from them but they persisted and approached them again, this time though Yamazaki put down his cup.

"I don't know about you guys but I'm going down there to get my girl." He said and left for down stairs. Hiroki, Ryuji and Mikio shared a look before shrugging and heading down stairs.

"You coming Syaoran?" Eriol asked curiously setting down his drink.

"Kinomoto isn't my girl." I said sourly before leaning forward against the railing.

"Well maybe but she seems to be having a tough time with that guy and they boys are busy dealing with their own girls." Eriol said and left too.

I looked down and spotted Kinomoto pushing away the guy that had been trying to dance with her. I saw her leave to the restroom and I made sure to follow her with my eyes. I glanced over and saw the gang had moved to the other side of the club and were now dancing and having fun. As Kinomoto left the bathroom type random guy grabbed her by the waist laughing and she punched square in the face. He cried out in pain and I felt a smile spread on face but it disappeared just as quickly once I saw him raise his hand against her. I saw red and dropped my glass on the floor.

In a flash I was running down the stairs to beat the guy into next year but skidded to a halt once I saw the guy laying on the floor, Kinomoto holding his arm in an uncomfortable position and her boot digging into his neck.

"What's going on?" I asked her and she dropped her hold on him. I picked him up off the ground and punched him in the eye making sure to give him something he'd remember tomorrow. I looked around and saw the commotion we had caused and decided to leave through the back door. I took her hand and led her outside to the parking lot.

"You ok?" I asked after a little bit. I noticed she was shaking so I shrugged off my jacket and put it around her shoulders. She nodded weakly and took a hold of my jacket, pulling it closer against her. I led her to my car and shot Meiling a text that I'd be taking Kinomoto home.

We got in my car and I noticed she made no move to put on her seatbelt.

"Are you really ok?" I asked softly and she looked up, her Emerald eyes shining.

"It was just scary, after I punched him and he raised his hand it reminded me of one of my mother's boyfriends." She said quietly let out a long sigh.

"Did he ever hit you?" I whispered feeling angry.

"Yes, thankfully my sister never got to see that ugly side of him but whenever I made a mistake with his food or his laundry or with the cleaning he'd raised his hand against me. This was back in freshman year though so it's been a while." She explained quietly and we stayed in silence for a while.

"Bastard." I spat out angrily and her eyes softened.

"Oh no, it's ok Li but thank you. I've already made my peace plus he's out of the picture." She said quietly.

"Syaoran" I corrected in a whisper and she looked up in surprise. Her expression made me chuckle a little. "You can call me Syaoran." I clarified.

"You can call me Sakura." She smiled shyly. "Does this mean we're friends?" She teased and I chuckled.

" I guess we are, do you want to go home yet?" I asked.

"Not really, plus nobody is home regardless." She sighed.

"Want to come to my place and play Halo?" I asked before I could stop myself. She smiled excitedly and nodded happily. We buckled in and left to my house and for once I was looking forward to it. Maybe having her as a friend wouldn't be so bad.

A/N: Hey guys, sorry the chapter is a little short but I'll be making it up next one. Lots of TxE as well as the appearance of 2 new characters. Also, totally random but I do draw and was wondering if you guys would want to see what the outfits I describe actually look like? Let me know what you think. Till next time! Xoxo :3


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Thank you guys so much for your reviews they really make my day :3 I am working on the drawings for you guys so I'll keep you updated. Next chapter is half way done so I'll be posting again before Tuesday. Thank you guys again, you all rock in my book.

-RR-

~DarkAngel :3

- _ **Sakura's POV-**_

"What did you do to that guy anyways?" Syaoran said not looking away from the tv screen.

"I used to practice Aikido until my mother prohibited it because she didn't want to pay for it. I did learn the basics though, enough to defend myself." I explained easily.

"What about that guy at Kari's party?" He asked.

"Meiling stepped before I could do anything." I shrugged and we went on with our game.

- ** _Tomoyo's POV-_**

"Tomoyo!" Meiling shouted from the across the dance floor, over the music and I made my way over to her. "Syaoran is driving Sakura home." She said and I nodded.

"Let's go outside!" Naoko suggested and we all nodded and headed outside.

"It's crazy hot in there" Chiharu said fanning herself with her hand.

"I know, you want to head home Chi?" Takashi asked and Chiharu nodded tiredly. "Alright guys see you in school on Monday." Takashi said and they said their goodbyes.

"I'm actually ready to go home too." Naoko said and I glanced down at my phone, it read 2:30 am.

"Me too." Rika agreed and Mikio and Hiroki nodded and they all said their goodbyes.

"Let's go Ryuji, we can go to my house." Meiling said with a playful smirk and he smiled wolfishly. "Make sure she gets home safe Eriol." She demanded and they went on their way.

"So are you ready Tomoyo?" Eriol asked and my heart skipped a beat once he said my name. It had surprised me at first how we had gotten so close so quickly but I knew it was because Eriol made sure I knew he liked me, he wasn't subtle with his flirting and I knew it was on purpose.

"Yes." I said and held out his hand for me to hold. I took a hold of it shyly and we walked to my car in silence.

"So I'm going to drive you home and I'll take a cab from there." He said as we drove off.

"No, no that's ok just drive yourself home first and I'll drive myself home." I suggested.

"Won't you be in trouble for coming home this late?" He asked.

"No, my mother is the CEO of a very large toy company so she's hardly ever home. It's only me and the maids, and Sakura whenever she can come over." I explained sadly. I loved my mother and understood the circumstances but I really wished she was home sometimes.

"Can I come over then?" Eriol asked and I stared at him surprised. "We can just watch a movie or something, just don't want you to be alone." My heart melted and I nodded yes and gave him my address.

I woke up engulfed in warmth and I snuggled into it. Then my eyes snapped open as I heard a chuckle. I looked up to find Eriol smiling down at me gently, I was laying on his chest while his hands where encircling my waist, we were both fully clothed to my relief.

"Good morning Hime-sama." He joked and hurried to disentangle myself from him. Once we got home last night, I had changed into yoga pants and a loose violet t-shirt and we popped in a movie. After it was done we decided to watch another one and somewhere along the line I'd fallen asleep and so had he I noticed from the wrinkles in his clothes.

"It's about 10:00 in the morning." He smiled and I blushed intensely.

"Good morning." I smiled weakly.

"You're even more beautiful in the morning." He smiled easily and my blush intensified.

"Umm, thank you." I whispered and I wasn't sure why I had.

"Do you want to go out to eat? It can count as our first date." He said and my eyes widened.

"Date?" I questioned.

" I thought I had made it very clear that I like you Tomoyo." He joked and I looked down at my lap embarrassed.

He lifted my chin up and his thumb caressed my lower lip. He kissed me then, softly and tenderly, sending the butterflies in my stomach into a frenzy. My heart thundered in my chest and I almost forgot how to breathe. I kissed him back and the world around us melted, leaving me in pure bliss. We pulled back and my cheeks reddened once again.

"So I take it you like me back?" He asked and I nodded happily before jumping to hug him, which sent us both tumbling off the bed.

"Of course I do dummy, I thought I was obvious about it." I joked and he looked a little surprised before smiling gently again. "Food sounds good though." I smiled and went over to my bathroom to wash up.

"I already called over to my house and they're sending a car over. I'll go home and shower and be back to pick you up in an hour." He said and kissed me sweetly once more before leaving.

I looked out my window and saw him get into a limo and driving away. I jumped around in my room in joy before going to shower and get ready for my lunch date.

 ** _*Sakura's POV*_**

I woke up disoriented in a very green room. I sat up on the huge bed and felt the silky soft sheets underneath my fingers. I was still wearing my clothes from the night before except for the boots. I looked around and saw the mess on the floor and remembered what had happened after we left the teen club.

We went up to Syaoran's room and began to play Halo, then Call of Duty. We eventually got hungry and ordered a pizza, and Syaoran made popcorn and got some chips too. After playing until 3 in the morning Syaoran put on an action movie. We had fallen asleep somewhere along the way.

I stood up and looked around for Syaoran but he seemed nowhere to be found so I began to clean up the litter of soda cans, pizza boxes and stray popcorn. After throwing everything away and making up the bed( it's a habit) I allowed myself to use his bathroom to wash up.

"Sakura?" I heard Syaoran's deep voice call from the other room.

"Coming!" I grumbled and stepped out. He was drenched in sweat. His ponytail stuck to his back his white shirt was practically see through by now.

"Morning." He said and I looked at him raising an eyebrow.

"Morning, Aren't we busy? " I joked and he rolled his eyes and walked past me to his walk in closet. I was amazed to find out his house was bigger than Meiling, he had a whole estate.

"I train every morning, you didn't have to clean up or make the bed, the maids would have done it" He explained simply and I went to sit on his bed.

"Must be tough." I commented. He had told me that he trained around 5 different types of martial arts as well as sword and staff fighting. "And I know I don't have to but I couldnt help it." I smiled sheepishly.

"Weirdo, you hungry?" He asked and on cue my stomach rumbled.

"I'll take that as a yes." He joked cockily and I glared at him. "I already told Wei I was having a guest so we'll be having breakfast in the garden for some reason. Let me just shower really quick, oh you can use my slippers if you like, I know you were complaining about the heels last night." I glared at him once more at his last comment. He had not stopped teasing me about me not being a real lady for complaining about the heels. He smirked, grabbed a pair of black sweats, a grey t-shirt and some underwear and went to the bathroom.

I saw a pair of black slippers by the door and slipped them on. They were gigantic on me, but were definitely better than the heels. I walked over to his desk and saw the teddy bear there and smiled, mine was still in his car since he was supposed to drop me off last night. I looked around his room and admired the sword above his desk in awe. I looked down at his desk and a picture captured my attention.

It was Syaoran, he couldn't have been more than 5 or 6, he was sitting on a man shoulders smiling brightly. The man himself resembled Syaoran only he looked to be in his late 30's, but he still held the same amber eyes and long chocolate ponytail. A regal beautiful woman stood next to him her head leaning slightly towards him and four girls stood in front. They all looked similar almost like quadruplets but you differentiate that they were all different ages, close, but different.

"That's my family." Syaoran's voice rang out from behind me.

"I'm sorry, didn't mean to pry." I said but he just stepped up to me and took the picture from my hands. He smelled like autumn and green apples, his hair damp and dripping a little.

"This is my father." He said pointing to the gentleman. "My mother." and pointed the young woman. "And my sisters, Fanren, Feimei, Fuutie and Shiefa."

"Wow I didn't know you had sisters." I said amazed and took the picture back from him.

"Yup, I'm the youngest actually, Fanren is the oldest then follows Feimei, then Fuutie and then Shiefa, they're all a pain in my butt." He complained but I could tell he cared about them.

"Where are they?" I asked curiously.

"They each run a different department for Li corp, so they all live in China for the moment. My mother and I live here in Japan to help get connections here." He explained and started to head towards the door, I put the picture down and followed him.

"What about your dad?" I asked and Syaoran stopped suddenly making me run into him.

"Ouch, what's the deal-"

"He passed away when I was little." He said sadly.

"Oh I'm so sorry, I didn't know."

"It's ok, I don't remember much of him anyways." He said but I could tell he was lying so I changed the subject.

"This house is huge." I commented and he smirked.

"Really? You should see the Main house in China, it has over 150 bedrooms." He said and chuckled at my bewildered expression.

"What do you need that many rooms for?"

"We're not a regular family, we're a clan. So whenever there's a wedding or a ceremony or just a gathering for the family we have enough room for everyone to stay."

"That's crazy."

"Imagine having them as your relatives, and don't even get me started about the Elders."

"Elders?" I questioned and he went on to explain how the Elders worked and became more animated as I asked more questions about his family's traditions and the company.

The garden was beautiful, autumn colors painted most of the leaves and while it was chilly it was perfect for breakfast. An older gentleman smiled at us as we approached the table.

"Sakura this is Wei." Syaoran introduced and Wei bowed.

"My pleasure Sakura-sama." He smiled gently.

"Oh please, Sakura is fine, the pleasure is mine." I smiled warmly and he pulled out a chair for me. A vast variety of food was set on the table and my mouth watered at the sight. Wei bowed once more and disappeared towards the house.

"He's nice." I commented as I served some bacon and eggs Benedict onto my plate.

"He's been in the family since before I wa born, he's one of the few people I trust." He said and we ate our breakfast while talking about everything that came to mind. I was just glad that sad look on his face was gone and forgotten.

 ** _*Tomoyo's POV*_**

"How's the food?" Eriol broke me out of my daydream. He looked handsome in blue jeans and a white knit sweater

"It's really yummy, we should come here with everyone." I smiled. I was dressed in white jeans, a violet silk blouse, a beige thick cardigan and tan flats. Eriol had picked me up exactly one hour later and had brought me to a little French cafe in town. The food was delicious and the decor was homey.

"I wonder if Sakura is alright?" I asked and he smiled a if he knew something I didn't.

"She's fine, she's still at Syaoran's. Apparently they were up all night playing video games and eventually passed out.

"How do you know?"

"Syaoran called me this morning after his training, he seemed to be a little troubled."

"Troubled?"

"I think he's starting to like Sakura but it's too in denial to realize it."

"Oh my gosh same thing with Sakura!" I exclaimed happily. "I swear they have this connection but refuse to acknowledge it."

"You and Meiling have been giving them a little push right?" He joked and I smiled in acknowledgement.

"I don't know if it's working though."

"Oh it is, he called her Sakura this morning." He smiled and I smiled in return. They were getting closer, finally. "But that's enough about them, the real question is what about us?" He asked suddenly serious.

"What about us?" I asked feigning innocence, I knew what he was asking but I wanted him to spell it out.

"Would you, Tomoyo, do me the honor of being my girlfriend?" He asked and I squealed a yes before grabbing his face and kissing him sweetly. He chuckled as I let him go and smiled widely at me. We spent the rest of the day together and soon enough he was dropping me off at home. He kissed me goodnight and I basically skipped up to my room, I had to tell the girls everything tomorrow.

 ** _Sakura's POV*_**

I pulled into the parking lot and thanked god I had done my Homework on Friday. After breakfast yesterday, Syaoran and I had went at it in another round of video games before I decided that I had to get home before the witches and do my chores. I actually had a lot of fun with him, he wasn't like a lot of guys, I didn't know how but he just wasn't.

My hoodie was baby blue today and my converse black. I didn't see Tomoyo's car and decided to head over to my locker. Once I got there I was surprised to see everyone there. Meiling, Ryuji, Naoko, Hiroki, Rika, Mikio, Chiharu, Yamazaki, Eriol, Tomoyo and even Syaoran were talking.

"Since when did my locker become the hangout spot?" I asked as I approached them.

"You mean my locker?" Syaoran smirked and I rolled my eyes playfully.

"Sakura!" Tomoyo squeaked and grabbed me in a bone crushing hug. "I have so much to tell you!"

"Can't breather 'Moyo" I wheezed and she let go smiling apologetically.

"Here." Meiling said handing a cup of hot tea.

"You're a lifesaver." I cried out dramatically before going to my locker and struggled to get my books with one hand.

"Here." Syaoran said and took the cup from my hand.

"Thanks." I switched my books and took my cup back. We all laughed and talked ignoring the weird looks we see getting from everyone else. Yes, we looked like a bunch of misfits, but we fit together well.

"We should be getting to class." Rika announced and everyone left promising to sit with us at lunch. Syaoran and I were the last to leave dreading the stupid presentation we had to give.

We gave our presentation and the teacher was moved on how we portrayed our theme, earning us an A. Lunch had actually been really fun, our table was now full but it was a good time. The rest of the day went by quickly and we were now painting the last of the nemo mural.

"Well done Sakura." Coach praised from the other room and I smiled.

"Which one should we work on next?" I asked and couldn't help but notice the difference between when we had first painting together to now.

"The couples?" Eriol suggested and I nodded in agreement. I found out Syaoran could actually paint and not just the background.

"Amazed at my talents I see." He joked and I merely punched his arm before rolling my eyes.

"Yeah, surprised to see you have any artistic talent at all" I laughed and he glared. The rest of the day slipped away and after I did my homework and cooked dinner, Tomoyo snuck over to my room.

"So tell me everything!" I squealed and she turned bright right.

"Oh Sakura, he's wonderful! He came over to my house and we watched movies and fell asleep, and when I woke up he said I was even more beautiful. And then he kissed me and I swear my heart was going to burst and then we went for lunch and he asked me to be his girlfriend! And I said yes and then we kissed again and spent the whole afternoon together-"

"Tomoyo breathe" I reminded her and she took a deep breath. "I'm so happy for you!" I said hugging her.

"Thank you." She smiled " I know you kept giving us chances to be alone or to be together."

"It's fine, Syaoran's not that bad, we're actually friends. So what about the big plan to reveal your identity at the Halloween ball?"

"Oh, I guess that's useless now right? Well I'll just tell him at the ball." She laughed and I joined.

"So since when did Li-kun become Syaoran?" She asked me slyly and I rolled my eyes.

"Some guy had been bothering me at the club and I had to use judo against him. Syaoran showed up then and took me home, we stayed up most of the night playing video games and eating junk food and that's it" I said nonchalantly.

"That's it?" She said raising an eyebrow.

"We had breakfast in the garden and played more video games before he brought me home." I rolled my eyes.

"That still didn't answer my question."

"He told me I could call him Syaoran, and I told him he could call me Sakura, stop trying to blow things up." I joked.

"Me? I would never!" She said sarcastically and I laughed.

"Either way, I'm happy for you 'Moyo." I smiled brightly.

"Thank you. Oh that reminds me I'm going to get everyone together this Friday for a fitting. I'm making everyone's costumes for the ball." She announced.

"Are you going to have time? The ball is exactly one week away from this Friday."

"Oh absolutely. I already finished yours , mine and Meiling's, I already have a couple patterns for Naoko, Chiharu and Rika just need their measurements. For the boys I'll do something simple but I'll have some of the maids help me so I'll be busy all next week." She said happily and I could see how much she loved this.

"Sounds good. I'll sneak out if I have to, the big witch doesn't even check on me." I smirked and Tomoyo giggled. She laid back on my bed and I joined her, both of us staring at my black ceiling, the glow in the dark stars sprinkled on it.

"I can't wait until we graduate." I whispered.

"Me neither." She sighed and we stayed like that for a while.

"Well I gotta go, I'll see you tomorrow at school, coffee's on me." She said and after our goodbyes, I helped her sneak out the back kitchen door. I washed the dishes and went through my nightly routine before I fell asleep thinking of my crazy weekend and what was to come.

A/N: And that's it for right now. Like I said before I'll be posting before Tuesday so be on the look out. Next chapter will be more into the main plot. Thank you again and remember to review. Also random question: are the chapters too short or too long? Please let me know :3 till next time ~~~~


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Hey you guys! As promised here's Chapter 8! Thank you all for your reviews, I really love them. I will be holding off on the outfits for a bit, because when i do post them i want them to be perfect. Anyways, enjoy and let me know any thoughts. ;3

~RR~

~ **DarkAngel**

- _Sakura's POV-_

"Sakura did you submit your drawing for the art show yet?" Meiling asked and everyone turned to look at me. We were currently in lunch, and it was Thursday, only one more week until the fall festival/Halloween ball.

"I forgot to be honest, I don't know which one to pick." I said and I took out my sketch pad leafing through it. Nothing seemed good enough to me, maybe I could ask coach for advice.

"That's not the only sketch pad you have Saku, what about the giant one you keep in coach's room?" Tomoyo asked.

"Oh you're right! I'll look at it at it later and decide."

"Today's the last day to submit it Sakura, so remember to do it before school is done." Rika explained and I smiled nodding.

The rest of lunch went by normally. Tomoyo and Eriol were sitting close whispering to each other, occasionally Tomoyo giggled and blushed. Yamazaki was telling his lies and stories while Chiharu beat him up. Meiling and Ryuji as well as Naoko and Hiroki and Rika and Mikio had all become couples over the last couple days but no one was really surprised.

Then there was me and Syaoran. I usually read and he usually listened to music but lately we found ourselves putting those things aside and making conversation. We would talk about everything or just poke fun at each other, but it was constant. Maybe it was because the table was full of couples and we were the only ones left out but we had really become good friends.

I walked into coach's classroom and headed to the back. I kept a giant sketch pad hidden behind an old filing cabinet that I had used the year before for figure drawing. I didn't want to bring it home in case my mother decided to test it up, so coach gave me permission to keep it here as long as it was out the way. I took it and headed over to the second classroom surprised to see Syaoran there already.

"What're you doing here?" I asked curiously setting down my bag and flipping open the sketch pad.

"Class was suspended so I came here early." He said walking over to see the drawings with me. "Those are really good." He commented.

"Thanks at least one of us thinks so." I said and I stopped at a drawing of a wolf. It's back was to us and it was looking at its reflection on a lake, a forest surrounding them. The sky was black and a crescent moon hung above a horizon of trees, reflecting on the lake's surface as well.

"I don't think I'm going to submit one, it's stupid, they're not good enough." I sighed. Suddenly Syaoran reached around me and tore the drawing free from the sketch pad.

"I don't think so." He said smirking and running off with the giant piece of paper. I stood there dumbfounded for a couple minutes before shaking my head and closing up the pad and replacing it back behind coach's desk.

I went back to the other classroom and continued to work on the couple I was painting, Syaoran walked in 10 minutes later.

"You're all set up for the student show." He smirked.

"Oh joy" I said my words dripping in sarcasm. "I don't even think I'll go."

"Why not?" He asked putting on his smock and coming over to help me.

"Well it's supposed to be me, Tomoyo and Meiling but they both have dates so I'm going to end up 5th wheeling, also Rika, Naoko and Chiharu have dates as well so it'll be awkward." I explained.

"What about me?" He asked.

"What about you?." I raised an eyebrow and he scoffed. "To be honest I thought you'd have a date by now."

"I'll also be going with the group so you gotta be there to at least help me get through a night of couple barf. Plus after the marathon I ran for your drawing there's no way I'm missing the student show" He said shaking his head.

"I suppose, plus Tomoyo already made my costume I doubt she'd let me skip." I laughed and he joined.

"She's making mine too, but refuses to tell me what it is."

"That makes two of us but she did say she'll keep it simple for the boys." I smirked and he rolled his eyes playfully.

"When it comes to Daidoji I never know what to expect." He sighed.

"Agreed."

The rest of the school day went by normally and once I got home I noticed a note from my mother telling me she and my sister had gone out to the spa and to eat. I sighed, relieved to have no chores. I went upstairs and changed into a loose oversized light pink sweater, blue jeans and pink converse. I grabbed my bag and left to my favorite bookshop.

As I walked to the shop Tomoyo called me.

"Hey Sakura, what are you doing?"

"The witches are out to the spa and dinner so I'm going to that bookshop I always go to." I explained.

"Oh ok, just wanted to remind you about the fitting tomorrow."

"Kay no problem 'Moyo. See ya tomorrow." We said our goodbyes and hung up.

"Good afternoon." I greeted the elderly woman behind the counter and she smiled brightly. The old bookstore I had accidentally found a couple years back had become my safe haven.

It was ran by Mr. and Mrs. Himeko who were warm and friendly. Aside from the two floors of bursting bookshelves they also had a small bakery that always had homemade goodies and hot chocolate, coffee and tea.

"I was wondering where my best customer had gone." She said kindly. "We just got a new stock if you want to check the back corner." She winked at me and I left to the fiction section in the right hand back corner.

After settling on a romantic novel I went back to look at what kind of baked goods they had for the day.

"Well if it isn't Sakura!" Mr. Himeko said excitedly.

"Hi Mr. Himeko, what do you have for me?" I asked looking at the pastries on display.

"Well just for you? Here." He said handing me a slice of strawberry shortcake. "I know it's your favorite, on the house."

"Oh no, you don't have to." I said pulling out my wallet out my bag.

"I insist." he said kindly putting down a cup of tea next to it.

"Fine, but I'm paying for the tea." I said and put the money in the counter before he could argue. He smiled and shook his head before I took the cake and tea and brought it to the sitting room in the second floor. I took my favorite seat by the window and began to get lost in the pages of my book.

 _-Syaoran's POV-_

"You called mother?" I said stepping into my mother's office. She looked up from the papers she was currently reading and signaled me to sit down.

"There's going to be a charity ball next Friday and I need you to be there. A very powerful family will be there and I heard their daughter has an infatuation with you." She said stoically.

"But-" I started but she held up her hand before I could get a word in.

"No buts, the Li name comes first." She said and dismissed me. I stood up raging inside before heading down to my dojo. I began to go at it with the punching bag, letting my anger out. I wasn't going to that charity thing, I had already given my word to be at the festival. My phone rang in the middle of my rage attack and I stopped to pick it up.

"Hey Li-kun!" Daidoji sounded cheerful on the other side.

"What's up Daidoji?" I said taking a towel and drying off the sweat that had build up.

"Oh, just reminding you that the fitting will tomorrow at my house."

"Oh yeah, no problem." I said heading up to my room.

"Alright, are you ok? You sound upset." She asked kindly and I sighed deeply.

"I'm fine Daidoji but thanks for asking."

"No problem Li-kun, if you don't feel comfortable talking to me, you can always talk to Sakura. She's at the bookshop by the train station."

"Um, thank you." I said a little uncomfortably, we said our goodbyes and hung up.

I showered and changed into a forest green hoodie and blue jeans. After laying down on my bed and flipping through the TV, I sighed and grabbed my keys; might as well go and bother Sakura to pass the time.

I parked by the train station and looked around for the bookshop Daidoji had mentioned. After walking up and down the block I finally found the old bookshop tucked away in a corner. I walked in and a bell chimed.

"Hello" a warm elderly woman greeted me.

"Hi" I said looking around the old shop in awe, it had a homey feeling to it.

"Are you looking for something in particular?" She smiled.

"Well, I am actually looking for someone, girl with honey-colored hair, bright green eyes?" I asked.

"Oh Sakura! She's right upstairs by the window." She smiled.

"So you know her?" I was a little surprised.

"Oh yes, best customer we could ask for, plus she attracts customers too." She winked and nodded to the upstairs floor. I nodded in thanks and made my way up to the second floor. Once up there I noticed Sakura sitting by the window, completely absorbed in the book she was reading. A half eaten slice of cake and a cup of tea sat on the small coffee table in front of her and I couldn't help but notice the way the light streamed through the window giving her a glow that seemed almost magical.

I plopped down on the couch next to her and grabbed the cake from the table, taking a piece in the process.

"Syaoran? What are you doing here? And who said you could eat my cake?" She asked an eyebrow raised.

I smirked at her annoyance and went to take another bite but she snatched the plate away.

"Well?" She said looking into my eyes before sighing and handing me back the plate. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong, just happened to bump into you." I said nonchalantly and busied myself with the cake.

"Come on Syaoran, it's all in your eyes. What's up?" She said and closed the book she was holding, giving me her full attention.

"There's not-" I started but one hard look from her and I put down the now empty plate. "My mother wants me to go to this charity ball thing next Friday but I want to go to the fall Festival, and I've already told you how this family crap goes so I had no say in it at all."

"Why does she want you to go?"

"An important family will be there and their daughter has a crush on me, if I start dating her, her family will most likely will start doing business with the Li corp." I sighed and slumped on the sofa.

"Want me to be blunt or want me to sugarcoat it?" She asked seriously.

"You never held back before, don't start on my account."

"I think you gotta grow a pair." She said simply.

My mouth hung open for a minute before I recuperated. "On a second thought, sugarcoat it."

"No Syaoran I'm serious." She said and I looked at her skeptically. She rolled her eyes and continued "You're going to be the next Leader of the clan right?" I nodded "So that means you will be handling not only a full clan but also a corporation with god knows how many employees.

"My opinion is this, If you really don't want to go, tell your mother. If you want to stop making business deals based on you flirting with other girls then tell your mother. What kind of leader will you be if you won't even stand up for yourself to go to a stupid high school festival. If you are really the next leader of the Li clan, then stand up to your mother for once." She finished her little speech and I looked at her in awe. A couple minutes went by in silence before she broke it.

"I'm sorry I know it's out of my element but you asked-" she started but I interrupted her.

"You're right." I said quietly and she looked at me with wide eyes. " If I want to be a real leader I have to start standing up to my mother otherwise I'm no good to anyone." It felt like realization had hit me in the face and it hurt like a ton of bricks, yeah it wouldn't be easy but If i wanted to take control of my life I had to start acting on it not just wish for it.

"Umm, well, I'm glad I could help." She smiled and I smiled back.

"Come on, I'll treat you to dinner." I said standing and she stood up too grabbing the plate and cup as she did.

"No I'm-"

"No buts, come on nothing fancy, I promise." I interrupted and she chuckled.

"Fine but only because I just gave you a free psychology consultation." She joked and Now it was my turn to chuckle. We went down stairs and after dropping off the plates at the bakery counter, Sakura bought the book she had been reading. The older woman gave Sakura a not so sly wink when she asked about me but Sakura just blushed lightly and said I was just a friend and I laughed at her expression.

We went to a ramen shop near by and waited for food while chatting idly.

"You're not wearing your hoodie" I noticed and she glanced down at her sweater.

"I guess, I didn't think I'd meet anyone else at the bookshop." She said casually. "Why were you at the bookshop anyways? You didn't buy anything."

I choked on the water I had been drinking and coughed. "I told you I was in the area, I'd never seen that bookshop before so I decided to go in and browse." Our food arrived and I had never been more grateful for the interruption.

"Enjoy." The man with silver hair and brown eyes said as he put down our plates and smiled kindly. Sakura smiled back and he left. We ate our food and talked as we did and I drove Sakura home after we were done.

And to think two months ago we were strangers, now here she was giving me the advice I never knew I needed. I'd have to thank her in some way and talk to my mother as well but for the moment I put all those thoughts away as I flopped on my bed and fell asleep.

 _*Back in the Ramen Shop_ *

"You weren't wrong, I think she's the one." The silver haired man spoke softly to a tall man with dark hair and eyes.

"She looks exactly like our mother Yukito, I think we finally found her." The man answered back.

"What are you going to do Touya?" Yukito asked as he wiped down the counter.

"I'll talk to Otou-san." Touya said and went back to cleaning. A plan was formulating in his head, but he needed to make sure she was the real thing before getting his hopes up.

- _Sakura's POV-_

It was Friday night and I was walking to Tomoyo's house for the fitting, I doubted it would be just the fitting but I went along with it regardless. I had made dinner and done the dishes early so I could sneak out, it was one of those rare nights where the little witch was home but the big one was out. I rang the doorbell and saw the now familiar maid greet me. She motioned me to come inside as I greeted her. I headed up to Tomoyo's room and heard laughter as I walked inside.

"Hey Sakura." Tomoyo said cheerily giving me a bone-crushing hug.

"Hey Tomoyo, I see everyone is here already." I said and said my hi's. The girls were on all on Tomoyo's bed looking through Tomoyo's collection of fashion magazines while all five of the boys were standing with their arms stretched out being measured by 5 maids. Tomoyo went back to measuring Eriol and I went to sit on the bed with the girl.

"Did you guys get measured yet?" I asked them.

"Oh we were the easy ones." Meiling joked

"They won't stop squirming." Chiharu said pointing at Yamazaki and we all laughed.

"Girls are used to this kind of stuff." Mikio complained.

"Oh shut up Miki." Rika said and we laughed again.

"Syaoran, you seem to be doing pretty good." I jabbed at him.

"I've been doing this for a while now, you know, being Asia's most wanted bachelor and future leader of Li corporation, I have hundreds custom suits." He smirked cockily and I rolled my eyes.

"Oh how humble of you." I muttered.

"I heard that." He glared and I just smirked.

"You guys sound like a married couple." Naoko commented and both me and Syaoran glared at her. "Or not." She sweat dropped.

"All done!" Tomoyo announced and the maids bowed before leaving. "I'll have everyone's costumes ready by Friday, we can change at school after the art show."

We all nodded.

"Now let's get ready, we have a club to get to!" Meiling said and everyone cheered except for me.

"You never said anything about a club 'Moyo." I glared at her and shrugged.

"You and Syaoran are always party poopers." Meiling poured and that's when I noticed Syaoran looked as confused as me. I shook my head ready to decline but all the girls were all looking at me with pleading eyes.

"Fine." I said and they squealed.

"Really? That easy?" Syaoran poked fun at me.

"I'm not the only one." I said pointing behind him, where the guys were all looking at him with the same expression the girls had before. He rolled his eyes before nodding once and the boys hooted.

"Here you go guys." Tomoyo said handing each of them an outfit and directing them to a changing room across from her room.

"You guys really had this planned, didn't you?" I asked as Meiling pulled six identical outfits from Tomoyo's closet.

"Oh yes, here you go." Tomoyo said and handed me mine. It was a pair of dark skinny jeans, a tight baby pink shirt, a black leather jacket and baby pink pumps. All the girls were identical except the shirt and shoes were different for each girl, Tomoyo's was violet, Meiling's was red, Rika's was white, Naoko's was Aqua and Chiharu's was yellow.

We all changed and after applying some light make up and styling our hair we left the room. Meiling, Tomoyo, Chiharu and I having long hair put it up in High sleek ponytails while Rika and Naoko left theirs down. The boys were already waiting for us as we descended the stairs.

"Damm." Hiroki said while Ryuji whistled.

"You girls look hot." Mikio said with a toothy grin.

"Thank you" Rika smiled and went over to him to kiss him.

"Beautiful." Eriol whispered to Tomoyo as she reached him and kissed him. I walked over outside waiting for the couples smooching to die down, Syaoran was already outside.

The guys were all wearing Identical outfits as well. Black cargo pants, black jacket and a muscle shirt. Syaoran's was dark green, Eriol's was Navy, Ryuji's burgundy, Hiroki's was a bright blue, Mikio's was brown and Yamazaki's was burnt orange.

"You riding with me?" He asked.

"I walked here so sure, I'm pretty sure everyone is riding in couples." I said faking enthusiasm.

"You could third wheel with Tomoyo." He smirked and I punched his arm. "Ow, what was that for."

"For laughing at me." I said crossing my arms.

"Alright, let's go." Meiling announced from behind us and we all left to the Black Rose garden once again.

Once at the club we sat at the same section we had sat in before and ordered a round of drinks before heading down to the dance floor. We were all dancing having a good time. I danced with the girls and shook off any creeps. The guys were watching us from the second floor and for some reason that gave me a sense of security.

After a string of songs, Meiling grabbed us to the bar and ordered a round of Tequila shots for all of us. We downed the gold liquid and sucked on lime before shouting in joy. The guys walked over to us, including Syaoran, and ordered a second round of shots. We clinked our glasses and repeated the process.

The club was popping by now, the bass was thumping, the alcohol was starting to take its effect and the girls and I squealed as we heard a Rihanna song come on. We were back in the dance floor dancing together, the guys eventually joining. Eventually everyone ended up coupling up, leaving me with Syaoran but at that point I didn't mind, I just wanted to have fun.

Syaoran put his hands on my hips and we danced together. He was good too, both of us dancing like no one was watching, but unaware to us someone was.

 _On the other side of the club*_

"Kari! Isn't that Syaoran?" A girl from her entourage pointed at the dance floor where Syaoran was dancing with a girl, whose back was to them.

"Oh yes it is." Kari said evilly taking out her phone and taking a couple pictures of him dancing and laughing with his mystery girl. "He has no Idea who he messed with." She said before putting her phone away and walking over to him.

A/N: and there you have it! My creative flow is going so I'm already writing the next chapter, after all I can't leave you guys too long on that cliffhanger. :3 love you guys till next time! w


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: I really feel like the luckiest author ever! Thank you so much for your reviews they mean the world. Thank you for following along until now and even though this chapter is a little on the short side I'll be posting again soon and it will finally be the Fall Festival! Lots of things happening. Anyways enjoy :3

~RR~

~ **DarkAngel**

- _Sakura's POV-_

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Li Syaoran." A shrill voice shouted over the music and my skin crawled. Kari.

Why? Why did she have to be here?

"Found a new whore already?" She asked and I froze and locked eyes with Syaoran, if she found out it was me I was done.

"You still mad I dumped you?" He said in a cold voice and pulled me towards his chest putting an arm around my waist, effectively hiding my face while looking like he was protecting me. I could faintly smell his cologne and realizing how close we were my stomach did a weird jump.

"Oh please Li, she's that ugly that she has to hide her face? Plus let bygones be bygones is not like you'll ever find someone as good as me." She cackled.

"Whatever you say Kari, now can you leave? I was actually having a good time before you showed up something I never got to experience while I was with you." He said coldly and I tried to hold back a chuckle.

"At least I'm not hanging out with a bunch of weirdos and you're slut of a cousin." She said and I saw red. Meiling didn't deserve being spoken about like that, especially behind her back. Before I even had a chance to think I turned around and punched Kari in the face.

"Sakura!" Tomoyo shouted and headed in our direction, everyone else in tow.

"You little bit-" Kari stopped short once she saw my face. "Well if it isn't little miss nobody? Moved up from being the school ghost to warming up Li Syaoran's bed I see." She said evilly and I felt like punching her in the face again but Syaoran tugged my hand back making back down.

A crowd had formed around us now and I glared at the synthetic blonde in front of me.

"Unlike you Kari I don't go around warming up guys beds for attention," I said coldly and the crowd oohed.

"Oh Kinomoto, if you thought you had it bad before, just wait and see." She said glaring and pushed past me, her entourage following.

"Oh my gosh Sakura! You stood up to Kari!" Tomoyo squealed in joy and hugged me the girls joining.

"How did it feel to punch her?" Naoko asked with stars in her eyes.

"Pretty damn good if I can say so!" I laughed happily and we laughed.

"Why did you punch her though?" Chiharu asked.

"She called Meiling names and I snapped." I smiled sheepishly.

"Oh Sakura I love you!" Meiling squealed and pulled me into a bone crushing hug. "Alright last round of shots to Sakura being a badass!" She announced and disappeared towards the bar. Everyone followed but I pulled Syaoran back by the back of his jacket.

"Thank you." I smiled softly.

"For what?" He said raising an eyebrow.

"For helping me out, I appreciate it."

"We're friends right?" He asked with a smirk.

"The best." I smirked back and we did the handshake we had come up with the other night.

"Syaoran! Sakura! Come on!" Miki called and we went up to the bar and took a the shot glass full of gold liquid and a lime.

"To Sakura!" Meiling called.

"To Sakura!" Everyone yelled and we tipped our heads back.

The boys ended up drinking water the rest of night since they had to drive and headed up to the VIP lounge to play cards. We stayed downstairs and danced the night away until 3 in the morning. We walked up to the lounge exhausted and ready to go home.

"What are you guys playing?" I asked stepping behind Syaoran to see his cards.

"Blackjack." He responded pondering over whether or not to take another card, it was risky as he had a 10 and a 5.

"Hit him." I said to the dealer and he looked at me quizzically before looking at Syaoran.

"You sure?" He asked and I nodded smiling. "Hit me." He said and the dealer gave him another card. He lifted it to see a 6. He smiled wolfishly and threw all three cards facing up and the guys groaned while Eriol smiled slyly.

"Good insight Sakura-san." Eriol praised and I smiled.

"I went with my gut." I smirked.

"That's cheating Sakura!" Hiroki complained and I just laughed.

"Yeah Sakura, you helped him that's not fair," Yamazaki groaned.

"Shut up Takashi, I'm just glad the game finished before you started with one of your stories again." Chiharu said and we all laughed.

"Well I don't know about you girls but I'm done for the night." Rika called and we all nodded in agreement.

"See you guys tomorrow!" Meiling announced once we were outside heading towards the parking lot. "All your cars are at my house so have the boys drop you off to pick them up."

We said our goodbyes, Tomoyo making me promise to call her the next day before giving me a bone crushing hug and Meiling thanking me again.

I followed Syaoran to his car and sighed as I leaned back in the seat.

"Tired?" He asked as he turned the engine on.

"You don't even know, Meiling has way too much energy." I groaned and he let out a low chuckle.

"Well Ryu seems to keep up with her." I commented and he shook his head.

"As long as she's happy." He said tiredly and I noticed how tired he was as well.

"You seem to care a lot for her."

"I see her as my little sister, not a cousin. She's always been loyal to me, even if the whole clan wanted to go against me I know she'd stay by my side." He explained and I nodded in understanding.

"And Eriol." I added.

"And Eriol." He said rolling his eyes playfully.

"And me." I said softly.

"And yo-" he stopped short. "Really?"

"Of course, I mean I'm not part of a famous and powerful family like the Li clan but I could hide you under my bed or something." I joke and Syaoran laughed, like a real laugh. He usually either chuckled or smirked but this was the first time I heard a genuine laugh from him. It made my stomach flip for the second time that night and kind of made me want to see him laugh like this all the time.

"You're really something else, I haven't laughed like that in years." He said calming down and I smiled. We made to my house chatting idly and after seeing my mother's car still gone but the light from my Sister's room still on, I told Syaoran to park down the block.

"Thank you for the ride." I said as I unbuckled my seat belt.

"Any time." He said but looked a little sad.

"Did you, um, want to come in? I mean you'd have to climb a tree and my room is a mess but I can tell you don't want to go home yet." I said softly and I began to question why had I even offered in the first place.

"Really?" He looked surprised at my invitation.

"I mean you don't have to-"

"No, I'll come." He interrupted me.

"You sure?" I asked.

"I mean it's not a fancy estate but- ow." He complained as I punched his arm.

"That didn't even hurt you." I rolled my eyes and got out the car, Syaoran following me. We made it to my front yard and I took off my heels stashing them under a bush to be picked up tomorrow. I glanced behind me at Syaoran and motioned to follow me.

I climbed the familiar tree with ease and leapt through the window, landing without a sound. I looked back and saw Syaoran climb the tree quickly and easily and I stepped back as he jumped through the window landing silently as well.

- _Syaoran's POV-_

Sakura's room unlike mine was very cluttered. Not in a messy kind of way but it felt homey. She grabbed some clothes from her closet and turned to me.

"I'm going to change in the bathroom, make yourself at home." She said and left closing the door behind her almost inaudibly, giving me a chance to look around.

I could see glow in the dark stickers against the black ceiling and books were everywhere. There was an overstuffed bookshelf and an easel with a half done painting propped on it. There were scented candles all around the room and one wall was dedicated to drawings, quotes, lyrics and poems. The room itself seemed to represent her and who she was.

I looked at the floor length mirror hanging from the closet and noticed the fake cherry blossoms decorating the frame as well as some pictures of her and Tomoyo. I moved from the mirror to look at book case and recognized a couple classics as well as some romance novels. I kicked off my shoes, putting them neatly next to the bookcase and flopped back on her bed.

"Nice to see you getting comfortable." I heard Sakura say lowly and I lifted my head to smirk at her. She wore an oversized red graphic T-Shirt and black sweatpants, her hair was up in a messy bun instead of its usual ponytail.

"You did tell me to make myself at home." I said cockily and she rolled her eyes before putting the clothes in a bag and plopping down next to me. She grabbed her phone and after a couple seconds music began to sound lowly on a speaker somewhere in the room.

"I was always have music playing so it's ok, plus the won't hear your voice this way." She explained and then went back to staring at the ceiling like I was.

"I like your room." I said softly and she turned to me with an eyebrow raised. "No, seriously, I like it, it's homey and it really reflects you."

"Wooooowwww." She dragged in sarcasm, "That was so deep." She joked and I shoved her softly.

"No, I'm serious, you've seen my room right?" I asked and she nodded turning her head and looking at me. "Well we were always trained to keep everything neat and organized and minimalistic. The only thing I picked out was the color of the room."

"Your favorite color is green?" She asked and I nodded.

"What about you?" I asked and turned to look at her too.

"Promise not to laugh?" She asked and I nodded, noticing how close we were to each other, our noses only inches apart. "I tell everyone my favorite color is black but it's actually baby pink." She said blushing lightly.

"Why do you tell people something different?" I asked recognizing the Tokio Hotel playing softly in the background.

"I don't know, it's just I'm not really super girly so for me to say pink is my favorite color makes me feel awkward, but black is my second favorite color." She smiled shyly and I chuckled.

"Good to know." I said and we continued to chat about our favorite things as well as our dislikes. Somewhere along the line she fell asleep and I stared at her sleeping face. It looked almost angelic, the corner of her mouth slightly smiling as if she was having the best dream in the world, her hair slipping out of its knot.

I reached over and undid it completely, gently as to not wake her up and was amazed at its length, it ran almost to her knees. I wondered why she never let it down if it was this beautiful, it resembled a honey waterfall.

I brushed her hair behind her ear and she reached out and grabbed the front of my shirt, snuggling up to me as she did so, and I looked down to find her still sleeping. I saw the tight hold she held on my shirt and figured I wasn't going home anytime soon. I looked up at the glowing stars of her ceiling and sighed comfortably deciding Sakura wasn't just my friend, she was more like a best friend and that didn't bother me in the least.

 ** _Kinomoto Residence*_**

- _No One's POV."_

"Otou-san, we need to talk." Touya said seriously as his father walked in after being away for an archeologist seminar.

"Sure Touya." Fujitaka smiled gently "Let me set down my things and we can speak in my study." He knew his son meant business as soon as he saw his expression. Fujitaka dropped off his things in his room and went to his study just to find Touya already sitting there across from his desk.

"What's going on son?" Fujitaka asked taking a seat behind his desk.

"I think I might have found her Otou-san." He said solemnly and Fujitaka sat with with a bewildered expression.

"What do you mean? You might have found your sister?"

"Yuki and I were working at the ramen shop by the train station and we saw her there with some gaki." Touya grumbled the last part.

"How did you know it was her?" Fujitaka asked.

"She resembled mom, almost identically, except she had a lighter version of your hair and emerald green eyes." Touya explained and Fujitaka's eyes went wide.

"Emerald eyes?" He asked in awe and Touya nodded.

"When she was born I only saw her for a couple seconds before they took her to clean her but she opened those bright eyes of hers and I could never forget them." Fujitaka said sadly and Touya understood him.

Right after Nadeshiko Daidoji had given birth to a beautiful baby girl, she had been kidnapped along with her child for reasons no one knew 'till this day. Nadeshiko had been found years later but nothing had been heard from the baby girl. So, they always kept hope that one day their beloved girl would come back.

"Don't tell your mother anything yet, I don't want her to get her hopes up, just in case." Fujitaka said carefully.

"I wasn't thinking to, but me and Yuki are hoping to find her again and see if she's the real deal." Touya said and Fujitaka nodded. Someone knocked on the door and Fujitaka called for them to come in.

"Darling! I thought that was you!" Nadeshiko said and went to give her husband a kiss on the cheek. "How are my favorite boys?" She asked happily and ruffled Touya's hair lovingly.

"The seminar went great honey." Fujitaka said lovingly.

"I'll be in my room, I have a big medical exam tomorrow so I need to study." Touya said smiling, giving his parents some privacy.

"Dinner will be ready shortly, I practiced really hard and made Hamburger Steak." Nadeshiko said smiling and Touya smiled back. They were a happy family the only thing missing was the fourth member.

 ** _Friday/ Day of the Festival*_**

- _Sakura's POV-_

We sat at lunch and the girls talked animatedly. Everyone was excited for tonight, the art show was first, then the concert piece of the festival would take place and finally the awaited Halloween ball. The whole school was on overdrive and you could practically smell the excitement.

"Yo Saks, you there?" Syaoran said waving his hand in front of my face.

"Huh? Yeah, yeah, sorry I zoned." I smiled sheepishly.

"I said since school is done at 2 and the art show is not until 4 so you want to go eat? Everyone else is doing their own thing." He asked and I realized he was right, Tomoyo, Eriol, And Rika had to prepare for the concert, and everyone else was busy with their own clubs.

"Sure." I smiled and he smiled back. Something had changed again towards me and Syaoran, we were closer than before and I could confidently call him my best friend.

He ended up sleeping over the night other time and when we woke up he had been tangled up with each other. Despite the situation we didn't feel awkward and I made breakfast for us. We ate in my room and he left around noon. Ever since then we had been closer than ever and I hated to admit that I liked it.

"You nervous about tonight?" He asked.

"Should I be? I mean I did submit it anonymously." I said and I suddenly felt something cold pour over me.

"Oops! My bad!" I heard Kari say and kept it moving with a big smile on her face.

"Guys, don't." I said everyone had jumped up to say do something. Everyone sat back down except Syaoran. "Syao!" I said sternly and he glared at Kari one more time before sitting back down. This had been going on ever since Saturday at the club.

I wiped off the milk and went to the bathroom to clean off the rest. Ever since then Kari's bullying had turned up by a 1000, tripping me, spilling things, calling me names, you name it she'd done it. Meiling and the other girls had been close to doing something but I always stopped them, I wasn't going to stoop to her level. Syaoran and the boys just felt helpless since she was a girl and they couldn't retaliate.

"Guys, its fine, really. I refuse to stand as low as her, you know what goes around comes around." I said when I came back and even though they were still upset they dropped it for the moment, the conversation steering back to the Fall festival.

"Really, Syaoran, this is nothing. Where are going to eat?" I asked changing the subject and after a questioning look and shaking his head me and Syaoran went back to regular conversation. I just hoped the Festival went smoothly but somehow I knew tonight would be anything but.

A/N: That's all for now guys. Next chapter will have more length and will probably will be split into two parts but I'm not sure yet. Either way, love you guys and thank you again for your reviews. Till next time :3 3 w


	10. Chapter 10

A/N- Hey guys! Thank you so much for your reviews once again :3 Here is the first part of the fall festival and I just wanted to ask you, did you want me to break up the second part into two shorter chapter or just one super long part 2? Let me know what you think. Anyways, enjoy :3

~RR-

~ **DarkAngel**

- _Sakura's POV-_

Syaoran and I were on our way back from grabbing some food when Tomoyo called me.

"Hello? We just finished eating, why? Ok, ok, alright, ja." I said and hung up. "Apparently some scouts from Tokyo Art University are going to be there throughout the Art show and the concert piece." I said uneasily.

"Relax, take a big breath." He said and I did. "Besides isn't that the school you and Tomoyo are trying to get into?"

"Yes, she wants to go into Fashion Design and I want to be an art teacher and that's the only college that offers both majors." I explained and he nodded in understanding.

"Don't worry you'll be fine." He reassured me smiling and I found myself thinking it really would be.

We got back to school and were surprised to see the whole school transformed into a festival. There were food booths as well as games through the hallways and the cafeteria had been cleared out so the student artwork could be displayed.

Syaoran and I went around the booths and games together since we still had sometime before the Art show. Despite having eaten, we munched on Takoyaki and dango. We went through the stalls and I stopped at a Taiyako stand were Syaoran insisted we get chocolate filling. We made it all the way back to the front and saw Tomoyo and Eriol.

"Sakura!" Tomoyo called and I turned in time to catch her hug. She was currently in a messy ponytail, purple knit sweater dress, black tights and black boots. "Did you see your display yet?" She asked excitedly and I shook my head no. She squealed and started to drag me away by the hand, I looked back for help but Syaoran just smirked and Eriol just smiled in his navy turtle neck and jeans.

Tomoyo dragged all the way to a corner where a small crowd was formed and pushed our way through. It was my drawing, I don't know how he did it but Syaoran had framed it and it looked amazing.

"That's mine?" I asked Tomoyo in awe and she nodded happily. There was a note card with at the bottom and I wanted to beat up Syaoran up to a damn pulp, he had signed my name as well as titled the drawing 'Xiao-Lang' which I knew was his Chinese name. "I'm going to kill him" I said darkly and Tomoyo giggled beside me.

"Come 'On she said and tugged me to see the rest of the exhibition. We walked around and saw there were many talented artists as well, we even saw Eriol's painting. He had painted a beautiful landscape from Alice and Wonderland and there was a small crowd around the painting too.

We came to the end of the display and saw Eriol and Syaoran waiting for us. I glared at him and he paled a little.

"Run." I said lowly and he darted through the crowded halls laughing. I took off after him, dodging people as I did. He ran into the gym, with me hot on his heels before he ran outside to the soccer field.

"Come on Xiao-Lang, there's nowhere to run." I said with a wolfish smile, we both had stopped and were panting.

"Sakura, Saku, Saks, Hime-sama, come on you know I did that for your own good." He tried to laugh off.

"So naming my drawing after you is for my own good?" I glared. I wasn't even upset about the whole thing I was just having fun scaring him, who would have thought that big bad boy Syaoran Li was afraid of little nobody Sakura Kinomoto.

"I mean technically speaking Xiao-Lang does mean little wolf so it fit." He said cockily but his smile died once he met my glare once again. I charged towards him and before he had any chance to think; I hugged him.

"Thank you." I mumbled into his shirt and he stood there in surprise before relaxing and hugging me back.

"What are best friends for?" He said and we broke apart. What we weren't aware of someone in the shadows taking pictures on their phone and smiling evilly.

"Weren't you supposed to be at some charity ball today wolfie?" I asked.

"Oh no" He glared at the new nickname.

"Oh yes." I smiled evilly "Now come on spill."

"I forgot to tell you but I stood up to my mother." He said trying to sound casual but his wolfish smile gave him away.

"You stood up to her and you didn't tell me?" I exclaimed and punched his arm.

"Yeah so let me tell you…" he started and we sat at the bleachers. It was chilly but my burgundy sweater kept me warm and I smirked at Syaoran's hoodie, scarf and jacket; he had told me once he hated the cold.

 _ **Flashback** *_

 _-Syaoran's POV-_

 _"Mother, may I have a word?" I called from outside her door and a maid opened up the door from the inside._

 _She motioned for me to sit and the maid bowed and left._

 _"This is a surprise Xiao-Lang." She said in a mocking tone. I calmed myself and looked at her in the eyes._

 _It was Sunday and I had only gotten back from Sakura's an hour ago but after the day before and how Sakura stood up to Kari because of my cousin, I felt like if she had the courage to stand up to her lifetime bully so could I._

 _"I will not be attending the charity ball on Friday." I said calmly and my mother's face remained stoic as always._

 _"Xiao-Lang! Now listen to me-" she started sternly but I interrupted her._

 _"No! You listen to me!" I demanded and she looked at me in mild bewilderment. "I refuse to be the Clan's puppet any longer! From now I will not be seducing any more daughters or going on any missions or just being told what to do anymore. I'm tired of not being able to do anything for myself, I am the future heir and next leader of the Li clan, so how can I lead a whole corporation and clan if I can't make the simplest decisions for myself?!" I finished my speech and my mom looked at me in surprise._

 _The last sentence reminded me of the talking Sakura had gave me, and as I repeated them to my mother I felt a sense of pride for being able to do what she said and "grow a pair" as she so kindly put it. I looked at my mother's face for any kind of sign but she just looked at me and then the most unexpected thing happened; she smiled._

 _"Oh Xiao-Lang I'm so proud of you!" She said and came around her desk giving me a bone crushing hug. "You finally stepped up and took your position as a leader."_

 _"Huh?" I said clearly confused but she looked at me with eyes that twinkles in bemusement._

 _"Oh my darling boy! The clan and I put you up for those tasks just so you could learn how to stand up for yourself. You see as a child you were always very quiet and obedient and even now you still are but you also needed to learn not only how to take orders but give them." She smiled kindly and I somehow understood what she meant._

 _"You needed to learn that yes the clan and corporation are very important but also that aside from being a Li you are yourself and you don't have to always agree with us." She continued. "There may be many times will you oppose the elders or the members of the chairs and you must know that you may never submit to something you disagree to."_

 _I stood and stared at my smiling mother and took her words to heart. She was right, yes I was still young and had a lot to learn, and yes I wasn't the head of the clan yet but someday I was going to be and if I just followed what everyone else wanted me to do I'd make a poor leader._

 _"So you're not upset?" I asked._

 _"Of course not! I'm thrilled! You've grown so much my Xiaolang." She smiled gently and I smiled back. "Now go, I'm calling your sister to tell them how much their cute baby brother has grown." She shooed me out her office. That's night Eriol came over and surprisingly my mother joined us for dinner, it had been a strange but also comforting._

 _ ***End Flashback** *_

 _-Syaoran's POV-_

"Oh my gosh." Sakura said happily and hugged me once more. "I'm so proud of you" she smiled and an immense sense of pride swelled up inside me.

"Thank you, couldn't have done it without your help." I said sincerely.

"It's nothing really but I'm glad you and your mom are ok now." She smiled and we did our handshake. "Oh crap, we have to go! The concert will be starting soon." She said and we headed inside. We made our way to the giant auditorium where Sakura left to wish Tomoyo good luck before the show.

"I heard you stood up to auntie Yelan." Eriol said from behind me and I turned to face him, he held a Cheshire Cat smile and it worried me.

"Yeah, on Sunday right before you came over. I was going to tell you but it slipped my mind." I said sheepishly. Eriol was still like a brother but we had barely hung out as of late.

"That's alright, I've been focused on Tomoyo as well so it's fine. We should have a guys night soon." He smiled and I nodded. "You've been spending a lot of time with Sakura-san lately."

"Yeah, she's become like a best friend to me, right after you of course." I smiled.

"Are you sure that's all she is?" He asked softly.

"What do you mean?" I asked, granted I didn't look at her romantically but Eriol's insight always seemed to have a deeper meaning.

"I mean, 18 years you've been under your family's thumb, then Sakura comes in and you suddenly decide it's been enough?" He said and I was stumped.

He wasn't wrong, Eriol had always tried to get me to stand up for myself but I always told him it'd be useless. So why after one suggestion from Sakura I had actually gone through with it? I looked up to find Eriol gone and Sakura heading towards me.

"What are you doing? Standing there in a daze? Come on, it about to start." She said leading me to a couple seats in the front where everyone, take away Eriol, Tomoyo and Rika. Naoko had a camera and a notepad and I remembered she was covering the concert portion for the newspaper, and Chiharu and Yamazaki being part of the A.V club were setting up a video camera to film the entire thing.

I sat down and pondered over my conversation with Eriol as everyone talked excitedly around me. Eriol had a point, I had began to trust her easily and for some reason I could let my guard down around her, I found myself smiling more and even being more social.

"You ok Wolfie?" Sakura asked next to me and I rolled my eyes at the nickname.

"Yeah, I'm fine…Cherry." I smirked at my new nickname for her.

"Oh no." She groaned.

"Oh yes." I smirked and decided to worry about Eriol's conversation later.

The concert was actually pretty good and went by quickly, Naoko told us Tomoyo was performing last. Rika performed a beautiful ballet number that had everyone entranced. Mikio actually threw roses at her and gave her a huge bouquet on stage making Rika turn beet red.

"And now! The one you have been waiting for! The Amazing and Talented Daidoji Tomoyo!" The announcer said over the microphone and applause rained over the audience.

Daidoji stepped out in a beautiful princess-style dress that reached the floor. The top was white and faded into violet at the skirt, which was decorated with lace butterflies. Her hair was loose and wavy and a butterfly clip was seen on the right side. She stepped up to the microphone and Eriol stepped out from behind the curtain wearing a navy blue suit, white shirt and violet tie that matched Tomoyo's dress and sat behind the white gleaming piano.

Eriol began to play a soft melody and then Daidoji joined in. Her voice was beautiful and melodic, enticing the audience as she sang. I watched Sakura from the corner of my eye and saw her smiling widely at her friend up on the stage, completely thrilled to see her best friend performing. The song ended and applauded thundered,Sakura yelled Tomoyo's name in joy and I whistled. Everyone was going nuts and Tomoyo and Eriol bowed smiling.

"Thank you!" Tomoyo said and they went backstage.

"That. Was. Awesome!" Sakura squealed with Meiling.

"I mean I've heard her in chorus but damm that girl can sing" Meiling praised.

"We should get going girls, we have to get ready for the ball." Naoko said ushering them towards backstage.

"Li-kun you and the guys head towards the room Coach is letting you guys paint, Eriol spoke to him and he said I'd be fine for you guys to change there. All your costumes are there." Chiharu explained. She had left the freshmen to clean up the camera crew. I nodded and the men followed me, to be honest I couldn't wait to see what Daidoji had designed.

We walked into Coach's room and saw Eriol already there with a rack of clothes.

"You were awesome up there man, I didn't know you were going to perform." I said clapping Eriol on the back.

"Thank you, we were going for the element of surprise." He smiled "Here." he said handing me a suit bag with my name labeled on it. He handed everyone their bags and we all started to change.

Eriol was the first one done, he wore a black suit with a white shirt and a red tie with black hearts on it. He had gelled his hair back and the rose resting in his breast pocket was white while the tips where red.

Ryuji was next with a black suit, red shirt and gold tie. His hair was combed back and his breast pocket had a red rose. Hiroki's suit was beige with a baby blue shirt and a bright ruby red tie, his breast pocket had a red carnation sticking out.

Mikio's suit was completely white, as his shirt, but his tie was slim and black making it pop, he had a white orchid. Takashi's suit was black, with a white shirt underneath and a yellow-orange tie. His hair was messy but in a good way and he had a yellow petunia in his breast pocket.

Lastly there was me clad in a dark brown suit, a white shirt and a bright Emerald tie. I gelled my hair back and gathered the rest of my hair in a ponytail tied by a silver ribbon Daidoji had provided. A pale pink Chinese peony rested on my breast pocket.

"Well gentlemen if I may say so, we clean up real nice." Miki commented and we all laughed.

"Here" Eriol said and gave us each a mask. His was black, Ryuji's was red, Hiro's was baby blue, Miki's was white, Takashi's was orange-yellow and mine was emerald green. "Now we're ready." He said and I smirked, time to get the girls.

- _Sakura's POV-_

We were currently in the chorus room and it was basically girl dressing room chaos. Rika was doing hair, Naoko was doing makeup and Tomoyo was helping the girls dress and I just sat there, waiting until It was my turn. 30 minutes later we were all ready to go and I had to admit we looked damn good.

Tomoyo was dressed as the Red queen from Alice in wonderland. She wore a beautiful corset gown with a high neck that made her look like a queen indeed. The corset was half white and half black with a big jeweled red heart in the middle. The skirt was white with a black layer over it held up by red hearts. Her hair was half up,a tiny crown was clipped sideways to her hair, and she carried a tiny scepter with a giant jeweled heart on top.

Meiling was dressed as a genie in red and gold. It was a one-sleeve belly top with sheer veil covering her stomach. Her pants had a tight thick gold band and puffed out genie style. She wore gold flats, a gold arm band, gold cuff bracelets and hoop earrings. Her hair was straight and in a high ponytail, a gold cuff around it completing her look.

Naoko was Dorothy from the wizard of Oz and wore a blue and white gingham patterned dress almost identical to the one Dorothy wore in the movie, the only difference was that Naoko's skirt was puffier. She wore thigh-high white socks and ruby red sparkle high-heeled Mary Janes as well as a red ribbon on her curled hair.

Rika was dressed as the white swan ballerina, with a pure white leotard and tights. Her tutu was made up of beautiful white feathers and wore white pointe shoes. Her hair was up in a bun and white feathers crowned her head.

Chiharu was dressed as a monarch butterfly with a yellow-orange corset and a black tutu. She also wore black tights and black high-heeled boots. Tomoyo had done an amazing job and made her realistic butterfly wings and her hair was in twin pigtails.

Then there was me dressed as the one and only Tinker Bell. My hair was up in a high bun and my neck was adorned by a simple black choker. I wore an emerald green silk strapless dress. The skirt ended in large spikes at my knees and I wore silver flats that had big white Pom-Poms on it. Tomoyo had showered me in silver shimmer and gave me a pair of silver fairy wings to match.

Naoko did wonders with our make up and we were all ready to go.

"Ladies, we look absolutely gorgeous." Chiharu said excitedly and we laughed.

"Here" Tomoyo said and handed each of us a mask. Hers was white, Meiling's was gold, Naoko was red, Rika's was black, Chiharu's was yellow and mine was silver."Let's go wow them!" Meiling called and we left to meet the boys.

A/N: Well that's that! Let me know if you want one long chapter or two shorter ones , either way I already started writing it. :3 Till next time! Love you all 3 w


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: Thank you guys so much for your reviews and follows! I love you all 3 here's the long awaited chapter enjoy! :3

~RR~

~ **DarkAngel** ~

 _-Syaoran's POV-_

The guys and I headed towards the gym where the ball would be held. We met a couple people on the way who obviously had the same idea to change at school instead of going home and coming back. We entered the gym and were impressed by how well decorated it was. Fog machines were placed all through the gym so the entire floor was covered with thick fog. Orange, green and purple lights danced around the entire room and a stage had been set up to the far right.

A DJ was on stage playing a pop song and on the left several tables of food and punch were lined up. A witches cauldron and dry ice was set up for the punch bowl and pumpkins, ghosts, spiders and monster cutouts decorated the gym. They had set up a photo booth by the stage and tables and chairs surrounded the dance floor with orange and black table cloths with jack-o-lanterns for centerpieces.

"I feel like we're on a display." I grumbled as we walked towards a large table in the back. All the girls were swooning and ogling at us as we did.

"Stop being dramatic." Eriol rolled his eyes playfully. Kari and her entourage stopped us then.

"Hi Syaoran." She said too sweetly and I rolled my eyes in annoyance. Her and her entire entourage were dressed up as playboy bunnies.

"It's Li to you." I said gruffly and she giggled too sweetly.

"Oh come on, you really rather spend your night with a bunch of misfits including that ghost of a girl over me?" She stared up at me and pouted in what she thought was a cute way and I scoffed.

"Yes I would actually." I smirked and her expression went from syrupy sweet to seething anger.

"Don't see what this is doing to your reputation? To you?" She screeched and I raised an eyebrow. "Haven't you noticed your popularity go down since we broke up?"

"You really think I pay attention to absurd things like that? Unlike you I don't live off of people's attention." I retorted and noticed there was now a crowd of onlookers around us who ohhh-ed at my comment.

"Let it be known I gave you a last chance Li." She snarled stepping close to me and at that moment the doors to the gym banged open dramatically. Leave it to Meiling to make a dramatic entrance, I had to give her credit though, they LOOKED like they needed one.

The girls all looked amazing. Every single male at the dance just stood and stared, some even drooled. I noticed a few guys checking out Sakura and both my fists clenched as a reaction. I didn't know why I felt so much anger and I unclenched them but not before Eriol noticed and smirked.

He was the first to react and walked over to Tomoyo and offered his arm. He was followed by Ryuji, then Yamazaki, then Miki and then Hiro. The girls all beamed once they saw their dressed up boyfriends and I had to admit Daidoji had done an incredible job coordinating the costumes; that's when I noticed mine matched Sakura's. She stood at the door shyly as if wondering what to do since all her friends had left with their boyfriends and I saw Shoda Akira take a couple steps forwards towards Sakura.

Before I could think clearly I walked up to her, cutting him off and offered her my arm with a smirk.

"Really?" She asked raising an eyebrow in doubt and I rolled my eyes.

"Come you have to help me get through all the couple vomit." I said and stuck out my hand. She smiled and we did our handshake before she took my arm and we walked to the table. We passed Kari on the way who looked as if she was ready to jump on Sakura. I met her eyes and smirked at her, making her huff and stomp her foot before leaving. Akira stared after us as well but I just gave him a cold look before turning back to Sakura.

We sat down and I smiled at the way the guys looked at the girls.

"Daidoji you did a really good job with the costumes." I praised and she smiled.

"Just call me Tomoyo Li-kun, you're the only that doesn't and thank you, the guys were the easy part but the girls brought my visions to life." She said kindly.

"As long as you call me Syaoran, same goes for you girls." I said and the girls nodded happily. I turned to Sakura who was fidgeting with the hem of her costume.

"So tinker bell huh? Does this make me Peter Pan?" I teased.

"You wish, he's actually handsome." She smirked back and I glared at her which only made her laugh.

- _Sakura's_ _POV_ -

We walked to gym and Meiling went ahead and pushed both doors with so much force that they made a huge bang. We walked in and all eyes were on us. We spotted the guys easily since they had a crowd around them and I also spotted Kari close to Syaoran. The sight alone made me want punch her in the face and my fist clenched instinctively.

Eriol snapped out of whatever trance he had been in and walked up to Tomoyo offering her his arm which she took happily. One by one the girls were picked up by their boyfriends until it was just me. I stood at the entrance unsure of what to do before I looked up to see Shoda Akira take a couple steps towards me, until Syaoran cut my line of vision appearing in front of as if by magic.

He offered me his arm and I looked at him suspiciously. "Really?" I asked and he rolled his eyes.

"Come you have to help me get through all the couple vomit." He said stretching his hand out to me and we did our handshake. I took his arm and walked to our table not missing the dirty look Kari sent my way, but I couldn't help but feel a bit giddy at the fact Syaoran had decided to pick me over her.

We sat down and I faintly heard Syaoran complementing Tomoyo and her saying to address her by her first name. I was still trying to get over how handsome he looked. I mean granted all the guys looked handsome and as if they were ready for a photo shoot at Vogue but Syaoran looked extremely good. Too good, if you asked me. The brown suit complimented his hair and made his eyes look more golden than they were, and the bright green silk tie that matched my dress perfectly gave him a pop of color.

"So Tinker Bell huh? Does that mean I'm Peter Pan?" He teased interrupting me from my thoughts. I'd been playing with the hem of my dress and daydreaming.

"You wish, He's actually handsome." I joked back and he glared at me. I laughed as he did but I couldn't help the thought forming my mind. 'He's actually even more handsome.' and I shook my head at the thought. People kept piling in until the dance was in full swing. The guys went over to the food table and the girls stood up to go dance.

To be my first school dance I was actually having a blast. The girls and I danced together to the beat and were laughing and having fun. In the most of us dancing Shoda approached me and asked me to dance with him, I looked nervously at Rika who was the one closest to me and gave me a thumbs up.

Shoda-kun was actually handsome, not in the same level as Syaoran in the guys but he was still handsome with his short black hair and piercing green eyes. He shared lunch and history with me and Syaoran but he was always sleeping in class. He did play basketball though and was just your friendly boy next door kind of guy. We danced together for a couple songs before he took my hand and twirled me around and rested his hands on my waist, and I swore I heard glass break somewhere. He looked at me as if asking for permission and I nodded once, after all who was I to turn down a cute guy?

- _Syaoran's POV-_

Eriol and the rest of the guys had abandoned me a while back to dance with the girls and I stood by the punch table with a cup of smoky punch in my hand. A handful of girls were standing around me but after a cold glare from me they learned to keep their distance.

I saw Sakura dancing with Akira and I narrowed my eyes, they'd been dancing for a while now and for some reason I didn't like it. I saw him twirl her around and place his hands on her waist and I broke the glass mug I'd been holding. People around me gasped but I just mumbled an apology to the teacher serving the punch and took napkin to wipe my hand.

What the hell was wrong with me? It was just Sakura dancing with a guy, nothing wrong with that. But the more I thought about it, the more it bothered me, the more I wanted to go over to them and pry his hands off of her, that was my place.

'My place?' I questioned myself and the thought took me by surprise. Sakura was my best friend and that meant I looked out for her but what about when she had a boyfriend? My spine chilled and my heart squeezed at the thought. I looked up and saw her laugh at something Akira said and my blood boiled again.

I decided to get a breather and stalked to the bathroom. I looked at my reflection on the mirror and pried away my mask. Why? Why were my thoughts so confusing? Why did the thought of Sakura having a boyfriend bother me? She was just a friend.

"Are you sure that's all she is?" Eriol's voice echoed in my head and my eyes widened. I slipped my mask back on and went back to the gym. The DJ was playing a slow song and I saw Sakura sitting at our table with her face hidden by her bangs. I walked over to the table and sat next to her.

"How come you're not dancing?" I asked her.

"I didn't want to dance with Shoda-kun anymore." She said and I noticed a hint of sadness.

"What happened?" I asked in a concerned tone and she just shook her head no but it was enough for me to see tears streaking her face. I lifted her chin with my hand and brushed away her hair.

"What did he do to you?!" I stood in anger ready to beat Akira to a pulp.

"Nothing! I swear it's nothing." She said quickly and wiped her eyes. I took a step to hunt down the bastard but Sakura stood and held me back by my jacket.

"I'll tell you later, promise." She said and I exhaled loudly.

"Fine, but you have to dance with me." I smirked and she smiled a little. I lead her to the dance floor as the DJ played another slow song and I placed one hand on the small of her back and led her with the other. We swayed for a minute before she interrupted our thoughts.

"Kari put him up to something." She said softly.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"He said that if I could so easily warm your bed, what did it take to warm his." She whispered and my hold on her tightened.

"I'm going to kill him. Literally." I said completely seriously.

She shook her head no. "Kari put him up to it, don't take it out on him."

"But-" I started but she just laid her head on my chest and slid her arms up to my neck.

"No...just don't please." She said softly and I just exhaled deeply and put my hands on her waist bringing her closer. I couldn't imagine how she felt, but I hated seeing her upset, it made my heart squeeze.

"I'm sorry." I whispered.

"Why're you sorry?" She whispered back.

"For not being there to protect you."

"You don't have to."

"But I want to." I said sincerely and she looked up in surprise. We looked in each other's eyes and I confirmed the realization that had hit me in the bathroom: I was falling for Sakura Kinomoto.

- _Sakura's POV-_

As I danced with Akira I glanced over and noticed Syaoran standing by himself by the punch table. He had a flock of girls around the perimeter but none were closer than 10 feet, most likely afraid of his death glare. He looked in our direction but seemed to be deep in thought before he walked away angrily towards the bathroom.

Akira's hold on me tightened then and his hand moved lower towards my butt. I pushed him away and stepped back.

"Oh come on Kinomoto, I know you warm up Li Syaoran's bed at night, what will it take for you to warm up mine?" He smiled evilly pulling me towards him again in a harsh manner.

"You bastard." I spit out and went to sit down to not cause a scene. I sat and looked at the spot I'd been standing at seconds earlier and saw Kari cackling with Shoda-kun. In the back of my mind I had known it was too good to be true, he had never shown any interest before so it was obvious; but I'd still wanted to believe he really was interested.

The girls were still having a good time with the guys and when Tomoyo looked at me in a concerned manner I just mouthed I was tired and she nodded after a moment of hesitation. I'd made a fool out of myself thinking anyone could ever like me, and now I'd gotten what I deserved: to be alone. I marinated in my thoughts and put myself in a depressing mood.

"How come you're not dancing?" Syaoran asked suddenly beside me.

"I didn't want to dance with Shoda-kun anymore." I found myself saying and cursed myself mentally at how I hadn't been able to mask my sadness.

"What happened?" He asked in a concerned voice. What hadn't happened? I asked myself and I found myself shedding silent tears. I felt Syaoran till my head up and brush my hair aside and I almost gasped at the ferocity in his eyes. As soon as he noticed my tears those burning Amber eyes seemed to glow with fury.

"What did he do to you?" He asked in anger as he stood up and I reacted quickly remembering that day at the mall.

"Nothing! I swear it's nothing." I reassured him as I wiped my eyes. He took a step towards the dance floor but I held him back by the back of jacket, my fist balling up tightly.

"I'll tell you later, I promise." I promised and meant it and after a moment he exhaled loudly.

"Fine, but you have to dance with me." He smirked and I smiled a little. I didn't know how he did it but I suddenly did not feel as bad as I had before. He led me to the dance floor and after a moment of us swaying side to side I told him about Shoda and Kari. I told him to not hold it against Shoda-kun since after all he was just Kari's puppet but he protested otherwise.

I didn't know what compelled me to but I encircled my arms around his neck and rested my head against his shoulder. I found it almost natural to sway with him with my head on his shoulder.

"No...just don't please." I whispered trying to savor the moment but not really knowing why I wanted to. He then apologized for not being able to protect me and even after me telling him he didn't have to he said he wanted to and my heart felt like it was going to burst. All these mixed emotions and feelings were confusing and I didn't know what to make of them, so we just swayed to the rest of the song with me pushing back my thoughts to be pondered on about later.

We sat down after dancing a couple more fast paced songs and saw everyone was sitting as well.

"Tired?" I asked the girls who nodded.

"The guys are getting us some punch." Naoko said pointing towards the table. Syaoran stood and walked over to them after asking if I wanted some to which I nodded.

As soon as he left the girls all huddled close to me. "What's going with you and Syaoran?" Meiling semi-whispered.

"What do you mean?" I asked confused.

"I saw you guys at the dance floor during that slow song." Naoko said excitedly.

"Yeah, what happened with Akira-kun?" Rika inquired but Tomoyo shushed us signaling that boys were coming back and I was glad for the interruption.

- _Tomoyo's POV-_

I watched Sakura take a sip from the punch Syaoran-kun had just placed in front of her and I couldn't help but notice the gentle look he had when he spoke to her. Something had changed again and I tried to figure out what it was. Meiling caught my eye and I knew she was thinking the same thing I was. I glanced at Eriol next to me who was watching Syaoran and had a Cheshire grin on his face; good he noticed the slight change as well.

Today had been such a wonderful day. The concert was a huge success and I was absolutely thrilled at the applause Eriol and I had received. Sakura's drawing had also been a success and I had to thank Li-kun for submitting it with her name on it not anonymously.

I still couldn't help but feel uneasy about Sakura. Originally Meiling and I thought that her dancing with Shoda-kun would make Syaoran-kun a little jealous and more aware of his feelings but he stormed out to god-knows-where and Sakura had looked deflated after dancing with him. She mouthed that she was tired but I couldn't help but think it was more than that. I let her have her alone time and smiled once I saw her dancing with Syaoran-kun a little while later. She was resting her head on his chest and I swore I saw him smile a little at the action.

I always knew a day like this would come, where I would be helpless and wouldn't be the only one able to cheer her up and even though the thought saddened me I couldn't help but actually be happy as well. She was finally opening up to someone else and a male at that, considering Sakura's past I understood how important Syaoran was to her.

I leaned towards Eriol who kissed me on the temple as I did so and my whole body warmed. Eriol made me feel like the only girl in this world and I really wanted Sakura to feel the same way; To be cherished by someone other than her girl friends and I knew Syaoran was the one for the job.

 _-Sakura's POV-_

We all sat the table chatting when the DJ lowered the music directing our attention to the stage.

"Students of Tomoeda High!" Principal Ashiya welcomed over the microphone on the stage. "This year's Fall Festival has been one of the best in all the years this school has had. Now we are announcing two winners tonight: Best Student Artist as well Best performance.

For Best Performance we have: Daidoji Tomoyo and Hiragizawa Eriol!" He said happily and applause was heard throughout the room. Tomoyo and Eriol walked up to the stage where Tomoyo was presented flowers and Eriol held a small plaque.

"For best Student Artist we actually have an additional surprise, Tokyo Art University scouts were so impressed with the winner they are offering them a full scholarship!" The principal said excitedly. "Now for the winner: Sakura Kinomoto!" He said and I was in shock.

I sat unable to move before Syaoran helped me up and guided me to the stage stairs. I looked back at him and he motioned me for to go ahead so I took a deep breath and went up to the principal.

"Thank you so much." I said softly to the principal who smiled kindly and shook my hand rigorously.

"Congratulations." A man said from behind me and handed me a bouquet of flowers. "This is my card, contact me soon in regards to your scholarship, we'd love to have someone with your talent at Tokyo Art University." He gave me his card smiling gently and I nodded unable to speak.

Tomoyo squealed and hugged me congratulating me and I congratulated her in return equally as happy. The DJ cued up the music again and the girls swarmed the stage congratulating us as well as Eriol. The guys came up behind them shortly and congratulated all of us too.

"Alright guys! This is the last of the music so let's enjoy it!" Chiharu cheered and we cheered with her making our way down to the dance floor. The rest of the dance went by quickly and soon I was dozing off in Syaoran's car.

"You're that tired?" He smirked and I nodded too tired to even argue.

"Thank you for driving me, I'm afraid to fall asleep behind the wheel." I said softly.

"Don't mention it." He said and pulled up in front of my house.

"Thank you." I said and looked into his eyes.

"For what?" He asked curiously.

"For tonight, thank you really." I said and before I could begin to even question my decision I kissed his cheek softly. I hopped out his car before he had a chance to really react and went up the stairs to the porch. I turned the knob and was met with a slap to the face.

"Who do you think you are?!" My mother seethed angrily and I saw my sister standing behind her with a big smile on her face.

Damm it.

- _Syaoran's POV-_

I sat in a daze with a hand to my cheek, savoring the small gesture before it was interrupted by a the sharp sound of a slap.

"Who do you think you are?" I heard a woman screech and I hopped out my car. I stayed in the shadows trying to figure out what was going on.

"No one, ma'am." I heard Sakura say softly.

"Then why is your sister telling me you're going to parties, having boys over and stealing her boyfriend?"

"Her boyfriend?" Sakura asked confused but her mother just slapped her again.

"Li Syaoran." Her younger sister piped up from inside.

"Mother-" Sakura started but the woman interrupted her.

"Don't. Call. Me. That."

"Ma'am I'm sure this is a misunderstanding, I mean Li Syaoran isn't-" she started but the woman pushed her making her fall off the couple steps up the porch. My blood went cold and I made my way up to them.

"No the only misunderstanding here is you! I wish we would have never adopted you, or for you to be even born! You're here to clean and cook not be an easy whore. Get out of my house and don't come back! You hear me you little sk-" she screamed but stopped short as I came into view.

"Li Syaoran-sama." Mizuki said in a surprised tone stepping out to the porch. Her short hair was down and she woke some slutty costume version of a cat.

I said nothing and helped Sakura stand up. I could see tears in her eyes and a scrape on her hand. She looked at me in confusion and opened her mouth to protest my being there but I just shook my head no.

"You must be Mizuki's boyfriend, I'm her mother Yona Saito." The woman said in a syrupy voice stretching her hand. Her black hair was up in a bun and she was clad in jeans and a designer sweater, the smell of alcohol and cigarettes was faint on her.

"I am not Mizuki's boyfriend, she lied." I said coldly and ignored her handshake. Sakura leaned on her left leg and winced silently next to me, so I put her arm around my shoulder and carried her bridal style making the witches gasp in unison.

"Syaoran what are you doing?" Sakura asked struggling against my hold.

"Just sit still and let someone take care of you for once." I whispered to her before turning my attention to her mother.

"My people will be here tomorrow to gather Sakura's belongings, and they better be unharmed, good night." I said coldly and turned around leaving them with their mouths hanging.

"Why'd you do that for?" Sakura burst out as I drove away.

"How can your u let them treat you like that Sakura?" I asked angrily.

"That's nothing new! They're always like that!." She argued.

"I wasn't going to let them talk to you like that." I argued back.

"Why do you care?" She asked angrily.

"Because I care about you." I retorted and she sat quietly.

We sat in silence for the entire ride to my house.

"I'm sorry for getting upset." She whispered softly. "It's just embarrassing to have you witness that."

"I won't say a word." I smiled softly and she smiled back. "Now come on, I have the new Call of Duty and Eriol is not nearly as good as you." She laughed at my comment.

We stopped at the kitchen for some snacks when I heard footsteps walk into the kitchen. I froze as did Sakura and we both turned around at the sound.

"Xiao-Lang, are you not going to introduce me to your friend?" my mother questioned and I swore mentally.

Just great.

A/N: hope you guys enjoyed :3 till time! 3


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: Hey guys! sorry for the long wait but my writing time has been cut down by half :( I'll be updating again soon though to make up for the long wait :) Thank you so much for your reviews! I love them all and all of you guys :3 Anyways Enjoy!

-R&R-

- **DarkAngel :3**

-Sakura's POV-

"Xiao-Lang, are you not going to introduce me to your friend?" An elegant voice said from behind us and I saw Syaoran jump a little.

We both turned and I almost gasped at the beautiful woman standing in front of me. She had pale white skin and a cascade of beautiful ebony hair. I remembered the photo Syaoran had shown me once and figured he was his mother. I glanced nervously at Syaoran who seemed to pale by the second so I stepped in bowing slightly.

"My name is Sakura Kinomoto, I'm a friend of Syaoran's, pardon my intrusion this late." I said politely and Syaoran looked at me awe. Oh, I was going to hear about this later.

"Well what a polite young lady you are. I'm Yelan Li, Syaoran's mother, but you may call me Yelan." She said walking around the kitchen island and giving a slight bow of her head.

"Mother, I thought you were attending the ball today." Syaoran said in respectful tone and I could see his whole demeanor had changed. He was standing straighter (If that was even possible, the man stood as if he had a rod on his back at all times), his face went back to the stony look he held at the beginning when we weren't friends and I could tell his mother made him a little nervous.

"I already attended, without you, your sisters or your cousins, they are simply a bore." She said with a small smile. "What are you all dressed up for?"

"Tonight was the fall festival and there was a Halloween ball afterwards." Syaoran said and I realized I still had his jacket on.

"I've never seen that suit before." She said in a questioning tone and I saw Syaoran's hand twitch a little.

"My best friend made it for him as well as my costume and all of our friends's. She's pursuing Fashion after she graduates." I cut in. She looked at us for a while, studying our attire.

"Well she's very talented, tell her that if she'd like I can give a recommendation for an internship with one of our fashion houses." She smiled gently at me and I smiled back.

"Thank you she will be delighted to hear such news."

"Do you mind if I take a picture? This is the first time Xiao-Lang has actually attended a school dance or actually have a date. He always takes Meiling or Eriol with him whenever he goes to an event." She said and pulled out her phone and Syaoran blushed at the last part.

"Mother please-" Syaoran started to protest but I cut him off.

"We all went together as a group not as a couple but I don't mind." I said knowing I could torture Syaoran about it later.

"Perfect! I'm sorry I just assumed since your costumes match. Now, get closer." She said and we did. We smiled for her phone and she snapped the picture.

"Would you mind taking off the jacket so the costume shows?" Yelan asked and I shrugged off Syaoran's jacket draping it on the kitchen island. We started to pose once again before I noticed his tie was crooked.

"Hold on." I said and turned, fixing it.

"Thanks." Syaoran mumbled as he looked down to watch me fix it.

"Alright, good." I said and we turned to Yelan. She had a smile on her face that reminded me of Eriol, as if she knew something you didn't and held up her phone again to take our picture.

"Perfect, now get closer." She signaled with her hand and we did. Syaoran put his arm around my waist pulling me closer and I leaned towards him a little.

"Thank you Sakura, now I'll leave you guys to your night." She smiled brightly and I smiled back. "Goodnight son, Sakura." She kissed his cheek and then mine.

"Goodnight Yelan." I smiled.

"Goodnight mother." Syaoran said and Yelan turned and left the kitchen.

"Your mother is very nice." I smirked turning to grab the chips from a cabinet.

"And you are politeness impersonated so it seems." He said sarcastically and I turned to catch him smirking at me. I struggled to grab a bag of chips from a higher shelf before I heard him chuckle from behind me and reach for them easily.

"When Tomoyo was young she had to attend etiquette and manner classes but the only way she'd go was if I went. So since I was 7 I used to sneak out to go to her house, she had her private tutor teach me everything as well." I explained and snatched the chips out of his hands. He grabbed two sodas and a bag of popcorn and we headed to his room. We sometimes played in the game room but for the most part we played in Syaoran's room.

"I'm impressed, you seemed like a completely different Cherry." He smirked and I glared at him.

"Whatever Wolfie, just be glad I saved your ass with your mom." I said and now it was his turn to glare. "What's this about Mr. Casanova not taking any dates to any events though?"

"It's too much of a pain, these girls I was forced to date were all the same: brainless, boring, spoiled suck ups." He said as we settled in front of his giant TV.

"Like Kari?" I joked and he chuckled.

"Yes! They're all Kari clones, some of them are even worse." He laughed and so did I.

We played for a while before we got tired and Syaoran put on a movie on. We sat against his headboard and passed a bowl of popcorn between us. About half way through the movie I began to nod off.

"Here." Syaoran said giving me a black pair of sweats and a white shirt. I took the clothes and changed in the bathroom, glad to be out of the costume. When I came back I saw Syaoran had changed into a black tank top and green plaid pajama bottoms. Now comfortable we settled to keep watching the movie and before I knew it I was asleep.

"SAKURA!" I heard someone squeal and I woke up disoriented.

"What? What? What's going on?" I asked trying to gather my surroundings. I sat up just in time to get tackled by Tomoyo.

"Oh Sakura! I'm so sorry for not being there last night, Syaoran called me this morning and told me everything about Shoda-kun." She said while she hugged me to death, and I was relieved he didn't tell her about my mother.

"Can't breathe 'Moyo." I squeaked and she let me go.

"Are ok though? I'll have my secret service beat him up if you want." She said and I laughed.

"I'm fine Moyo is not like I liked him, we just danced together. Plus Syaoran already beat you to wanting to beat him up, had I not stopped him last night he would have killed him." I smiled.

"Very chivalrous of him." She smiled.

"I suppose, but it was only because we're friends." I shrugged and threw the green silk sheets back and started for the bathroom, Tomoyo following.

"You sure that's the only reason why?" She asked and I looked at her through the mirror lifting an eyebrow.

"Why else would he?" I said going back to washing my face. I saw her reflection shake its head with a bemused smile.

"Never mind, either way how come you slept here last night? Syaoran asked me to bring you a change of clothes." She asked and I was glad the towel was hiding my face right then, or she would have noticed me freeze up.

"He got the new call of duty game so we stayed up playing." I thought quickly and opened the door just to bump into Syaoran. "Wear a bell Wolfie, dang." I said rubbing my forehead, his chest was so damn hard.

He smirked and looked down at me. "Awww did wittle Chewy get hwut?" He mocked at me and I punched his arm. "Ow!" He mock cried and I rolled my eyes, walking past him with Tomoyo in tow.

"Hurry up and shower, you're all sweaty and nasty." I said making a face even though it was far from the truth, the sweat just made him look better, if that was even possible.

He grabbed a towel and a pair of black jeans and a white v-neck. "We're having breakfast in the second dining room and you can use the other room to change." He said and I nodded heading towards the door to the right of the TV.

"Let's go Moyo." I said and we left through the door. The room to Syaoran's right was supposed to be reserved for the future lady of the house or so Wei said when he gave me the official tour of the house. Everything was in tones of light pink, rose gold and white. There was a huge Canopy bed, a dresser, a desk and a small lounge area near the door. Syaoran said there was more to the room but since it wasn't being used it was left to the bare minimum.

Tomoyo pulled a large shopping bag from behind her and I wondered how had I missed that the entire time.

"Here, get changed." She said passing me the bag and sitting on the bed. "This room seems like it was decorated for you." Tomoyo remarked and I laughed.

"Far from it." I joked "It's meant for the future Lady of the house, a.k.a Syaoran's future wife. For the most part we stay up late and knock out on the floor or his bed, but I rarely ever leave his room."

"Don't want anyone to see you in the middle of the night?" Tomoyo said wiggling her eyes suggestively and I rolled my eyes as I changed into a loose baby pink knit sweater, blue jeans and tan knee high boots.

"No, more like I don't want anyone getting the wrong idea." I shrugged. "Wei is the only one that knows I sleep over sometimes and he usually brings us breakfast and lunch to Syaoran's room."

We walked down the stairs to the dining room, having been here so many times I already knew most of the house, the second dining room was small and more fit for every-day use than the elegant and enormous dining room that was used for feasts and family gatherings.

"Good morning Sakura-sama." Wei greeted with a smile.

"Good morning Wei, this is my best friend Tomoyo Daidoji." I greeted.

"A pleasure Daidouji-sama." Wei smiled at her and Tomoyo returned it.

"All mine." She smiled and we took a seat at the table. Syaoran walked in then and sat at the head of the table and the maids brought in the food.

"Hotcakes! Yay!" I cheered and dug into my plate.

"Syaoran-sama requested them for you." Wei explained and Syaoran scowled at him.

"They're my favorite, thank you Wolfie." I smiled at Syaoran and he grunted in reply, reverting back to his old self in front of the staff. We ate with Tomoyo and I leading the conversation but as I ate my last bite Meiling burst in with Ryuji and Eriol in tow.

"It's terrible!" She exclaimed out of breath and Syaoran stood in a flash.

"Meiling what's wrong?" He asked worriedly and looked to Ryuji and Eriol for an explanation.

"Turn on the news." Ryuji said solemnly and we all got up and went up stairs to the game room where Syaoran turned on the TV.

"Well, Yuko today's top headline is hot, hot, hot!" A male newsman smiled towards the camera.

"That's right Kenji, it seems that Asia's most wanted bachelor Li Syaoran is officially off the market." The woman smiled back. "According to some inside sources he has been seen in a pretty close relationship with a certain honey-haired beauty."

"What?" I heard Syaoran say in a deadly voice.

"That's right, the young lady seems to also be a student at Tomoeda High School and has been identified as Kinomoto Sakura." The man informed and my school picture showed in the corner. "Here are some pictures of the new happy couple."

They showed a couple pictures of me and Syaoran dancing at the club, of us hugging the day before in the soccer field, of me laughing as I chased Syaoran while he had a small smile as well and a few of us dancing at the dance the night before, me resting my head on his chest while he held me close.

"What the-" I started before I heard a boom. I turned to see Syaoran with a some blood on his knuckles and a hole on the wall.

"Syaoran!" Meiling said in surprise and his eyes looked like they were on fire.

"The news have been spreading quickly and are all over the internet as well as TV." Eriol said solemnly.

"Sakura your phone is going off." Tomoyo said worriedly and I took my phone from her hands. I unlocked it and it just kept going off with unknown numbers sending me text messages.

I could feel my face pale and my hands begin to shake as I read text after text calling me every name in the book as well as threatening me. Syaoran snatched the phone away and after reading a couple of texts he threw it across the room, breaking it in the process.

"I'm sorry, I'll get you a new one." He said lowly and I could hear the contained rage in his voice. "Eriol find out who this 'reliable' source is, stat. Meiling get the media controlled." He ordered in a deadly low voice and they looked at him uneasily.

"You guys go, Ryu, 'Moyo would you mind accompanying them? I need to talk to Syaoran for a second." I said and Tomoyo looked at me curiously before I nodded at them to go and they left quietly.

-Syaoran's POV-

Rage, that was the closest word I could use to describe what I was feeling at the moment. Not only was Sakura dragged in the middle of a scandal but she was also being harassed and threatened. I felt guilty for unintentionally putting her in this situation but I mostly felt anger towards whoever do this and they were going to pay.

"Syaoran." Sakura interrupted me out of my thoughts and I found her staring at me in concern. "It's ok." She said softly and I breathed deeply.

"What do you mean it's ok? You saw those texts and I know tomorrow in school will not be any better and you're already dealing with your mother and what happened yesterday with Akira and-" I ranted getting angrier by the second before she placed a hand on my cheek stopping me on my tracks.

"It's ok, Wolfie. Everything will be ok." She said softly and I closed my eyes breathing deeply. We stayed like that for a moment before I opened my eyes again. "Better?" She asked taking away her hand and I nodded.

"Thank you." I said softly and she looked up at me with those beautiful green emeralds she called eyes and I felt my heart chill.

"Anytime." She smiled softly and I smiled back. "So, what happens now?" She asked and I sank onto the green bean bag.

"Growing up in the Li clan has gotten me used to these kind of things. Eriol will track down whoever started this and Meiling will stop it from spreading any further. Your things are already here from your mom's." I explained as she sank in the pink bean bag next to me.

"Thanks for not telling Tomoyo by the way, she'd just worry too much."

"Well you're welcome to stay here as long as you need." I offered earnestly.

"Thank you but-" she started but my mother walked in then interrupting us.

"I hope I'm not interrupting." She smiled and we stood.

"Absolutely not, Good morning Yelan." Sakura greeted politely and I almost smiled at the change.

"I need to speak to both of you, follow me to my office." She said and we followed her exchanging curious glances as we did.

*Kinomoto Residence*

-No ones POV-

Fujitaka, Nadeshiko and Touya were all in the living room watching TV after just having breakfast when Fujitaka changed the channel to the news.

"Well, Yuko today's top headline is hot, hot, hot!" A male newsman smiled towards the camera.

"That's right Kenji, it seems that Asia's most wanted bachelor Li Syaoran is officially off the market." The woman smiled back. "According to some inside sources he has been seen in a pretty close relationship with a certain honey-haired beauty."

"That's right, the young lady seems to also be a student at Tomoeda High School and has been identified as Kinomoto Sakura." The man informed and a picture of a young girl with honey hair and emerald green eyes ] showed in the corner. "Here are some pictures of the new couple."

A mug crashed on the floor as all three stared at the picture of the young lady in the corner.

"It's her." Nadeshiko whispered softly. "It's her!" She cried loudly and tears started to fall. Fujitaka, already sitting next to her, put an arm around her and pulled her close.

"That's the same girl I saw at the train station." Touya said in awe. "I didn't catch her name at that time but now I can see it definitely matches."

"You saw her before and didn't say anything?" Nadeshiko asked heartbroken.

"Oh Honey, Touya did tell me about a prospective girl that could be our Sakura but I didn't want to get your hopes up in case it wasn't the real deal." Fujitaka explained in a soft voice.

"I could never forget my baby girls eyes, it's definitely her." Nadeshiko said in a longing voice.

"I could try and talk to her after things calm down with this scandal, she goes to my old high school." Touya offered.

"That would be our best approach to her, for all we know she might not even know she has a family who's been looking for her." Fujitaka said and Nadeshiko nodded.

"All this time looking and she was right under our noses." Touya muttered and Fujitaka sighed deeply a little sad.

"She'll come home soon." Fujitaka reassured and both Nadeshiko and Touya hoped he was right.

*Li Mansion*

-Sakura's POV-

"Please sit." Yelan gestured at the chairs in front of her desk and we did. The maid that had been in the room bowed and left, closing the door behind her.

"I'm already aware of the news." Yelan said in a serious tone and I noticed Syaoran tense next to me. "I am not angry at either of you, this is obviously the work of someone trying to hurt the both of you. We'll find the culprit in less than an hour and they will pay the consequences but what I'm worried about is how this will affect both of you." She explained calmly and I felt myself relax a little once I heard she wasn't upset.

"What do you mean mother?" Syaoran asked.

"I mean school will be different since the news have already spread and more importantly the Elders back in Hong Kong already heard the scandal and are demanding that you make this right and make your relationship with Sakura public so this won't affect your image."

"What?" I asked in surprise.

"It basically means they want us to pretend to date for the sake of my image and public reputation." Syaoran said in an annoyed tone and I sat there baffled.

"I know it's a lot to ask for Sakura." Yelan started "But you'd really be helping Syaoran since he's expected to start taking some ownership of the Li Corp here in Japan soon."

"Really?" Syaoran asked in amazement.

"Yes son, I was hoping to tell you in better terms unfortunately." Yelan smiled and Syaoran looked happy, I guessed it really did mean a lot to him.

"I don't want to put you in that spot-" Syaoran started to protest but I interrupted him.

"I'll help you." I said after thinking about it for a second, Syaoran had not hesitated to help me out the night before, the least I could do was help him out after everything.

"What? Are you sure? Do you know what this implies Sakura?" Syaoran asked in bewilderment.

"Yes, but you didn't hesitate to help me out last night, let me return the favor." I said giving him a small smile and he nodded after a moment of hesitation.

"Oh yes, Sakura I did want to speak to you about that. I already know about your issue with your mother, before you say anything It wasn't Syaoran who told me, I have my ways; Anyways I have a proposition, what do you say to becoming Syaoran's assistant in exchange for your own room here and a decent paycheck?"

A/N: Hope you guys enjoyed that short chapter, like I said I'l be updating again soon so be n the lookout! Remember to review/comment/ask questions. Love you guys :3 Till next time 3


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: First of all I wanted to thank you guys so much for supporting this far! You guys rock my world. Also thank you so much for your reviews, they make me smile like an idiot :3 this is a mini chapter since the next one will be lengthy so enjoy:3 3

~RR~

~ **DarkAngel :3**

- _Sakura's POV-_

"Excuse me?" I asked shocked.

"Since Xiao-Lang will now be working in the corporation he will need an assistant and I don't trust the girls at the office, they'll be after him for the wrong reasons." She explained.

"It sounds like I'll be gaining more from this than you." I said honestly.

"Syaoran would you mind giving us a couple minutes? I won't be long." Yelan asked and Syaoran gave me a questioning look but I just nodded and he left grudgingly.

"The reason why I'm offering you this deal is because I feel like what your mother did to you is unacceptable. As a mother myself and seeing how much you mean to Xiaolang as well, I just want to give you a chance to finish this school year without having to worry where you will be spending the night." She explained gently and I felt my eyes water.

"Thank you so much, it means a lot to me but I do have friends I could stay with." I said wiping my tears away.

"I understand but the reason I asked Syaoran to step out was because I also wanted to ask a personal favor. Things are going to be a little harder for him; He will have to prove himself to the Elders council as well as deal with this scandal at school and also prove his new leadership at the company. He's still very young and some people will take that as lack of maturity even though he has proved himself worthy of the title."

The favor that I ask of you is to please look after him, he works too hard and holds himself to the highest expectations which will make him overwork himself and I'm worried. If no one is there to look after him, he will even forget to eat and sleep in order to get things done. And while this is a big responsibility I don't want him to forget he's still young and he should be able to relax every now and then."

"Being his close friend for these past couple months have shown me that about him too, so I'll do my best to look after him without his knowledge." I smiled and she smiled back.

"Xiaolang! You can come back in now." Yelan called and he came back with a confused look on his face, his eyes darting between me and Yelan.

 _-Syaoran's POV_ -

What were they talking about? I paced back and forth in front of my mother's office wondering what Sakura and her were discussing. My mother's proposal had shocked me but it also made me somewhat happy to know she trusted Sakura enough to be my assistant, I had almost laughed when she made a comment about the other girls at the office. She hadn't been wrong, anytime I had gone to the corporate building the ladies that worked there had been either too friendly or just stared in fascination.

"Xiaolang! You can come back in now." My mother called finally and I walked inside. They were both smiling and Sakura seemed as if she had been crying but I didn't make a comment.

"So Sakura will you accept my proposition?" My mother asked Sakura expectantly and she looked at me.

"If I did accept, would that be something you're ok with?" She asked. "We would be living together, going to school together and working together after all."

"It's fine with me." I said and I couldn't help but feel happy that I would see her everyday from now on, after all I had realized my real feelings for Sakura and having her close to me all the time didn't seem like a bad idea at all. Plus there was the fact we had to act like a couple in front of everyone which made things even better.

"So it's decided, Welcome to the Li Mansion Sakura." My mother said with a smile and Sakura smiled back. "You'll be in the room next to Syaoran since that's where Wei accommodated your things."

"Thank you again Yelan, I really appreciate your generosity." Sakura smiled at my mother and she smiled back.

"You're more than welcome, now if you'll excuse me I still have a scandal to deal with and I'm sure Eriol and Meiling are waiting for you." My mother gently dismissed us and we stood to take our leave.

We walked slowly back to the game room, neither of us really wanting to meet with everyone just yet.

"I'm going to have to tell the girls about me living here and being your assistant and us fake dating." Sakura sighed tiredly. "They're going to flip."

"I'll have to let the guys know too." I said in the same tone, it was only early afternoon and I felt exhausted. "School is going to be a pain tomorrow."

"I know but at least I'll have Asia's most famous, popular, rich and handsome bachelor to protect me." She joked and I smirked.

"That's right." I said in a cocky tone and she rolled her eyes at me playfully. "You'll also have the girls to back you up as well as the boys." She stopped walking then and turned to look outside the enormous hallway windows. I stopped walking as well and saw her smile softly.

"I know we're in the midst of a huge mess but I also can't help but feel lucky." She said softly.

"Lucky?" I questioned and she nodded looking at me now.

"I never would have imagined having such good friends, or your mother's kindness for letting me stay here or just having you in my life." She smiled brightly and I could feel myself smile back.

"I'm glad you're in my life too Cherry." I smiled and she started to walk again. We made it to the game room just to find the whole gang there.

"Sakura!" Rika, Chiharu and Naoko cried and rushed to hug her. I smirked at the sight and went over to the guys greeting them all.

"Can't breathe." I heard Sakura squeal and they let her go.

"Heard about the scandal man, let us know if you need anything." Mikio offered and the rest of the guys nodded in agreement.

"Same goes for us Sakura." Rika smiled and the rest of the girls nodded.

"Well since you're all here might as well explain everything to you, Syaoran?" She looked at me for help and I waved everyone over to sit down. Sakura and I remained standing and once everyone had settled down I began.

"I know you guys are already aware of the scandal regarding Sakura and I. The elders of the Li clan have also caught on to the news so they are demanding Sakura and I make a public statement saying that we are in fact dating so this won't affect my image negatively." I explained

"Why do they care so much all of the sudden?" Meiling asked.

"Syaoran will be taking over the Li Corp here in Japan, and he already has enough to prove himself enough being young imagine without something like this on top." Sakura explained and I was glad she understood so much already.

"Really?" Eriol asked and I smirked nodding. A chorus of congratulations was heard through the room.

"Thank you guys, you should also know Sakura will be my assistant and due to some circumstances will now be living here in the mansion." I explained and everyone's face fell in shock. I could see the look of hurt on Tomoyo's face and Sakura's face changed into one of sadness.

"Sakura, why don't you and the girls check out your new room? I know you guys probably have a lot to talk about." I hinted and she smiled in thanks.

"Sure, let's go guys." She said and the girls all stood and after giving a kiss on the cheek to their prospective boyfriends left to Sakura's new room.

"You don't seem too upset for someone who's currently being gossiped about by the whole country?" Takashi remarked and I couldn't help but smirk.

"I realized my feelings for Sakura." I said nonchalantly and the guys's jaws dropped open.

"Finally!" Ryuji hollered and I laughed.

"No, seriously dude, we've been waiting forever." Mikio remarked.

"I'm glad I was able to guide you in the right direction." Eriol smiled and I rolled my eyes playfully.

"Whatever you say Eriol, I just hope Tomoyo doesn't feel too bad about Sakura staying here." I said in a worried tone.

"They'll be able to talk it out." Eriol said easily "By the way I do have some bad news." He announced and I just sighed tiredly and plopped down on my bean bag.

"Bring it on." I said tiredly.

"The one behind the attack was Kari." Eriol said taking a seat next to me and the guys followed.

"I figured, just don't tell the girls yet." I sighed.

"Got it, now do you remember how a while back I asked for your help?" He asked and I nodded. "Well I actually might need it sooner. That brat I got arranged to marry is coming here in a week."

"Oh crap." Hiroki cursed, they had all been put up to date about this before.

"Not only that but she's also bringing some dutchess from London to meet you, and the elders already have some ideas in mind because of her status." He explained and I grunted in disapproval.

"Well aren't supposedly dating Sakura?" Hiroki asked.

"The Elders wouldn't care at that point, being that Sakura is pretty much a regular normal girl they'll probably make us breakup publicly and then set me up with the dutchess." I explained.

"Do the girls even know about these potential arranged marriages?" Miki asked and we shook our heads no.

"I don't think even Meiling knows because she hasn't mentioned anything to me." Ryuji commented.

"I had forgotten about the whole ordeal to be honest but I guess everything just had to come at once." I said in an annoyed tone and all we could do was sigh. "I do have a favor to ask though."

"What's up?" Takashi asked curiously.

"I need you guys to look out for Sakura, things are going to be tough tomorrow." I asked earnestly.

"Of course dude, Meiling will have my ass otherwise." Ryuji joked. "Plus she's like a little sister to me." He said and the guys nodded in agreement.

"Thank you." I smiled.

"No problem, lover boy." Miki joked and they all laughed as I glared at them.

- _Sakura's POV-_

We walked in silence to my new room and I was surprised to see all my things from my old room already accommodated as well as new furniture. The lounge area now had two arm chairs as well as large couch and a coffee table. The floor-to-ceiling windows were now covered by sheer pale pink and white curtains and my easel was set by the corner. The thing that called my attention the most though was the enormous white bookcase that took up the whole right wall. All my books had been accommodated and there was still some space left over.

"You get the room of the Lady of the House?" Meiling said in amazement.

"To be honest I don't even know why, Wei just settled all of my things here." I said shrugging.

"Why were all your things here already?" Tomoyo asked and I could tell by her tone she was hurt I hadn't turned to her first. "They weren't here when you changed in this room this morning but they had definitely had to be in the mansion already for them to fix the room so quickly." She pointed out.

"I'll explain." I said and I sat at one of the arm chairs while the rest of the girls seated themselves in the remaining seats. I went on to explain the events that had happened the day before and by the time I was done the girls all held a look of sadness in them.

"Whoa, Sakura, I had no idea." Meiling said sadly and I just smiled at her sympathy.

"I don't like to feel pitied, that's why I didn't want to tell you guys. Tomoyo already knew how bad things were with my mother and I was actually planning to go to and stay with her but Yelan asked me a personal favor and here I am." I explained and I could still see the hurt look in Tomoyo's face.

"I'm so sorry Tomoyo, I was going to tell you after we ate today but then everything happened with the scandal and everything has just been happening so fast." I said apologetically.

"Just promise me you're not replacing me with Syaoran-kun." She joked lightly after a couple minutes and I knew I was forgiven.

"Of course not silly, sisters until the end." I said and I tackled her in a hug. Someone knocked then and I yelled for them to come in.

"Sakura-sama, lunch is served for you and the ladies in the first dining room." Wei announced and I smiled at him.

"Thank you Wei, we'll be right down." I smiled and he bowed and left.

"Ugh! I'm so jealous." Chiharu groaned loudly and we all laughed.

We all went down stairs and had lunch with the guys who were already waiting for us. The rest of the day went by quickly, the gang had already left by late afternoon, except for Tomoyo and Eriol who stayed behind. Eriol and Syaoran went to Syaoran's room to work on the scandal damage while Tomoyo and I went to my room to talked about everything that had happened.

We were laying down on my bed and I almost laughed as I saw glow in the dark stars on the ceiling. They covered the entire ceiling and I somrknew Syaotan was behind it.

"Are you mad?" I asked Tomoyo.

"I was at first, but I understand everything." She said softly.

"This doesn't change anything though, we're still sisters." I told her and she nodded.

"How are things with Eriol?" I asked and she instantly beamed.

"Wonderful Sakura, I really think I love him." She smiled happily and I smiled back.

"I'm so happy for you. I'm pretty sure he loves you too, you should see the way he looks at you when you're not looking." I smirked.

"I hope so. But don't worry Sakura your prince in shining armor will come too." She joked and I rolled my eyes.

"With my luck I'll probably get a black knight." I joked and she laughed. We talked all night until eventually Eriol knocked saying he was going to drop her off at home and we said our goodbyes.

I decided to take a shower and went to fish out a clean pair of sweats and a t shirt. The bathroom was beautiful in white and gold accents. There was a waterfall shower and even a jacuzzi tub. I showered, humming as I did, and changed before someone knocked on my door.

"Come in." I called as I sat on the bed towel drying my hair and Syaoran stepped in, in grey flannel bottoms and a plain black shirt.

"Just wanted to check on you before I went to bed, it's been a long day." He said gently and I smiled.

"I'm actually better than I thought I would be."

"I mean you did take THE Syaoran Li off the market." He smirked and I rolled my eyes as I put my hair up.

"Whatever you say." I laughed.

"How come you never let your hair down?" He asked as he sat next to me.

"My mother didn't like it when I did plus it's so long I would probably sit on it by accident." I explained and he nodded In comprehension. "Thank you for everything today Wolfie, it means a lot to me." I smiled and he smiled back.

"No problem Cherry." He smiled one of his rare smiles and did something so unexpected I thought I was dreaming. He kissed my forehead. It was soft and quick but it left me feeling warm and with a funny feeling in my stomach. He stood up to leave and I sat there in a daze still trying to figure out why my heart was beating so damn fast and loud.

"Goodnight Cherry." He called.

"Goodnight Wolfie." I replied automatically and put a hand to my forehead as he closed the door. The spot where he'd kissed me felt hot and I could feel my face heat up in a blush. What was wrong with me? It was only Syaoran, or so I tried to convince myself.

A/N: There you go guys, hope you enjoyed. Next chapter will be lengthy which is why I posted this mini one. I will be posting it soon though so until next time :3 RR 3


	14. Chapter 14

Hey guys! Sorry for the delay but it was my birthday on Saturday 10/7, so my weekend was a little hectic. I really was trying to update beforehand but I had a little bit of a block. Anyways! Enjoy please let me know what you think as I enjoy and love each and everyone one of your reviews. Enjoy :3

~RR~

~ **DarkAngel :3**

- _Tomoyo's POV-_

"Today was a crazy day." I sighed as I sank into my seat. Eriol and I had just left Syaoran's house and were now on our way to my house.

"Indeed my love, but I do have some good news." Eriol smiled.

"Really? What?" I asked curiously.

"Syaoran realized his feelings for Sakura, he told us after you and the girls went to Sakura's new room." He smiled knowingly and so did I.

"Oh yay!" I squealed happily "Finally, at least one of the two finally realized their feelings."

"How are things with Sakura?" Eriol asked as he parked the car and we made our way to my room.

"She definitely has feelings for him but is oblivious to them." I sighed sadly. "Maybe with them living together and Syaoran now fully aware of his feelings things will be better."

"I'm sure they will be, did you and Sakura make up?" He asked as we sat on my bed.

"Yes we did, I think it's just harder for me to accept there may be someone else Sakura can fully rely on besides me." I admitted sadly and rested my head on his chest.

"Well I think she seems to have accepted that about you though." Eriol commented and I looked up at him confusedly. "Love, ever since you and I got together Sakura has been giving us our space. She's never once complained about us spending so much time together because she knows how much I mean to you and how much you mean to me. I think subconsciously she just started to lean more towards Syaoran because she didn't want to get in our way."

I thought about what Eriol had said and found he wasn't wrong. Sakura had literally done nothing but give me and Eriol the space and time we wanted without a complaint and subconsciously started to gravitate towards Syaoran since they are the only current singles in the group.

"I feel like a terrible friend." I sighed sadly.

"Don't feel like that honey, if anything you helped Sakura learn how to trust someone else besides you and I know that means a lot to her." Eriol comforted me softly and I snuggled closer to his chest.

"I guess but I'll make it up to her somehow." I said decidedly and Eriol smiled down at me. We cuddled up together and I fell asleep with his gentle caress of my hair.

I woke up engulfed by warmth and I remembered Eriol had stayed the night. I was glad it was Sunday and didn't have anything to do but apparently it wasn't going to be an uneventful Sunday. My phone rang and my mother's picture popped up on the screen. I excitedly answered careful not to wake up Eriol and went out to my balcony.

"Good morning mom!" I answered happily.

"Good morning my darling, I have some wonderful news!" My mother said excitedly.

"What news?" I asked curiously.

"I was able to finally track down your auntie Nadeshiko." My mom exclaimed excitedly.

"What?!" I shouted forgetting about Eriol. My mom had been searching for her sister Nadeshiko since before I was born. She told me stories about her and I knew how much this meant to her. According to my mom, my auntie had been kidnapped shortly after giving birth to my younger cousin and ever since then they moved and dissapeared. My mother hadn't even been able to get in contact with my auntie's husband so she didn't even know what happened to my auntie afterwards.

"How did you find her mom?"

"I coincidentally bumped into Fujitaka, your auntie's husband and they invited us to dinner on Friday to explained everything. Apparently he couldn't speak about it in public." She explained.

"Oh mom, I'm so happy for you. Of course I'll go to the dinner with you, is it ok if a friend tags along? I'm still a little nervous about meeting my auntie."

"Of course sweetie, I'll be flying in on Friday morning. See you then honey."

"Ok, bye mom love you." I said and we finished saying our goodbyes.

"Good news?" Eriol said from behind me as he wrapped his arms around me.

"My mom is flying in on Friday and we're having dinner with my aunt, I'm thinking of bringing Sakura along." I smiled leaning back in his arms.

"Sounds great my love, now how about some breakfast?" He asked and I made my way inside to get ready.

- _Sakura's POV-_

I woke up a little disoriented due to my surroundings but soon enough I remembered this was now my new room. Yesterday I had spent the day playing video games with Syaoran and getting our story together for our 'relationship'. I stretched my arms and made my way to the bathroom. After my morning routine and a quick shower I made my way to the walk-in closet.

I hadn't really noticed since I'd spend the day in sweats and a T-shirt but brand new clothes in my size awaited for me and while I saw all my old jeans and converse I was missing all my hoodies. Furiously I pulled on a pair of faded blue skinny jeans and a black cami and stalked to Syaoran's room knowing he had something to do with it.

"Syaoran!" I called from outside his door but I heard no noise from his room. I quickly made my way down to his dojo where sure enough I found him dripping in sweat like always.

"Where are they?" I demanded angrily.

"What do you mean?" He smirked and all I wanted to do was wipe it off.

"My hoodies, where are they?" I bit out which only made him smirk wider.

"Oh, since you don't live with your mom anymore there's no reason for you to wear them anymore, so I got rid of them." He smiled wolfishly.

"What!?" I shrieked.

"I thought you'd be happy." He said his smirk falling. I sighed deeply and closed my eyes briefly.

"You should have asked me." I said defeatedly. "Yes, I wore them to blend in and not stand out but after so many years of wearing them I actually liked them."

Syaoran was quiet for a while before he spoke again. "I'm sorry, I should have asked you but if you want you can borrow any of mine." He smiled boyishly and I couldn't help but melt a little at the sight of it.

"Fine, but you're replacing them and why do I have a closet full of new clothes?" I asked making my way back to his room while he followed.

"Oh that was my mother, she ordered the maids to buy you a new wardrobe since you also have to look the part of my girlfriend when we go to social functions." He explained and I nodded absently. We reached his room and I went straight to his closet and picked out a forest green hoodie that was huge on me but comfortable.

He went to shower and I finished getting ready in my room before we grabbed a quick breakfast and left for school. My Jeep was in the garage but since we were 'dating' we thought it'd look better.

"Are you ready for the chaos?" Syaoran asked as he parked the car.

"As I'll ever be, thankfully we have the same schedule and you still scare everyone away." I joked and he chuckled.

We got out the car and watched as the whole senior parking lot turned their attention towards us. Some openly stared while some just whispered amongst themselves. I could feel myself get nervous at the attention before a large yet warm hand wrapped around mine yanking me back to reality.

"They're already staring, might as well put on a show." Syaoran smirked as he entwined his fingers around mine and gave it a thoughtful squeeze. I nodded and squeezed back.

We made our way across and I could catch little bits of the whispering going on around us.

"-heard they're dating now-"

"-all over the news yesterday-"

"-she's probably after his money-"

"-not even pretty-"

"-probably gave it up easy to him-"

"-he stoop really low this time-"

"Are you ok?" Syaoran's deep voice cut through the whispers and I nodded.

"Sakura!" Tomoyo called meeting us in front of the school. She tackled me into a hug as soon as I was within reach and I laughed. She looked adorable in a black pleated skirt, black tights and boots and lavender sweater. Eriol looked handsome as always in khakis and a navy turtleneck.

" I just saw you yesterday." I joked.

"I know, but I just wanted to tell you you're my best friend and nothing could ever separate us." She smiled softly and I smiled back. I realized I was still holding on to Syaoran's hand but he didn't seem to mind at all and was having his own conversation with Eriol.

"Awww, look at the lovebirds." Meiling called from behind us and my face went red. She wore a red sweater and black jeans and boots. Rika, Naoko and Chiharu all followed close behind with their perspective boyfriends and laughed at my reaction. They all wore jeans and boots and knit-sweaters in White, Blue and yellow respectively.

"Come on guys, stop it." Syaoran reprimanded which only gained an 'awww' from all the girls. We walked into the school and again everyone's eyes were on us again. Whispers were heard again but we just kept it moving towards our lockers and chatted as if nothing was wrong . I opened my locker and sighed deeply at the sight.

"Guys." I said I quietly and they leaned in to see the inside of my locker full of garbage and my books ripped to shreds.

"Damm it." I heard Syaoran curse but I just shut my locker.

" I have photographic memory, I don't really need the books anyways." I said loud enough for the people around us to hear and I saw Syaoran look at me in a surprised expression. "What? I'm not going to let them get to me." I smiled and he smirked back.

"Oh my gosh!" You guys are so cute!" Chiharu squealed and I rolled my eyes. The rest of the day went pretty much the same, a lot of staring and whispering but no one really dared to do anything until gym. Syaoran and I had different gym classes but thankfully Meiling was in the class with me.

Gym was pretty basic for me, you got dressed and then just blended in until the end of the period. Except today we were having swimming and I couldn't swim. I usually skipped on these days but today couldn't be helped. ZI dressed in my one piece black piece swim suit and wrapped my towel around me. I went up to the coach and tried to explain my situation and offered to write a report instead like the injured students do when they miss gym.

"No can do Miss Kinomoto" coach Hashimoto said without even looking at me.

"But coach-" I started and Akira walked in with his swim trunks and towel in hand. "Coach I really can't swim, I don't feel the floor and I panic." I continued on trying not to sound like a total brat.

"I'm sorry Miss Kinomoto, I guess you'll learn today because this is worth half your grade." He finished and walked over to boys locker room. I sat on a bench and tried not to panic. I'll just stay on the shallow side I repeated to myself.

Everyone was coming out the locker rooms now. Girls with flashy bikini's to show off their goods and dudes just lining up for the show. The girls pretended they didn't notice but they loved the attention. Meiling was wearing a two piece bright red bikini and sat near the pool with Ryuji.

Coach blew the whistle "IN THE WATER" he yelled.

Splashes went all around, some girls screamed while being thrown in by the guys. Everyone was already in the water playing around when-

"MISS KINOMOTO" coached boomed with a warning tone.

So I stood and took off my sandals as I unwrapped my towel. I wasn't ashamed of my body, however when the entire pool is looking at you waiting for you to get in, you can't help but get nervous. That's when I heard them laughing, the boys that had been throwing the girls earlier. They grabbed me before I could react and I flew for a few seconds before hitting the ice cold water.

I just sank for a minute then I struggled to the surface. However I couldn't feel the floor underneath me so I just sank again and instead of fighting it I just let go since I'd be useless. I kept sinking lower and lower, my vision blurring, my long hair floating around me, it was beautiful yet somber. I slipped out of consciousness and dreamt of nothing.

The first thing I felt was someone's lips on mine and then I started coughing uncontrollably. I coughed up water and started to tremble from the cold. I looked up to see who saved me and was surprised to find Akira looking down at me. I struggled to a sitting position when Meiling rushed to my side and grabbed her red towel from nearby to wrap it around me.

"Can you stand?" She asked and I nodded feeling too weak to speak. She helped me up and walked me to the girls locker room. "You ok?" She asked in a concerned voice, I nodded yes again and left to change. I changed quickly and left for coach's office to tell him I was ok, since I didn't see him at the pool. Not seeing him in the office, I left a note saying I was going to the nurse to get checked out.

I made my way to the library and hid away in my corner. There was no way I could actually face people after what happened. My hair still wet, dripped water onto my hoodie while I sat there,my head hung low. It took me a while to notice it wasn't only my hair dripping but tears were running down my cheeks and dropping down as well.

I cried silently trying to calm myself down but my anxiety was creeping up on me. It wasn't only the drowning, it was everything. Akira, my mother, the scandal, the whispers, everything just hit me at once. Needing some fresh air, I got up and started walking out of the fiction section when I ran smacked into someone.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't watching where I was going." I said while wiping my eyes.

"Are you ok?" A masculine yet warm voice asked, and I looked up only to see Syaoran standing in front of me. He had changed, even though the period wasn't over yet.

"Aren't you supposed to be in class?" I asked raising an eyebrow.

"Aren't you supposed to be at the nurse's office?" He answered and I looked back down to my feet, suddenly finding my converse interesting. "Don't worry I won't tell if you don't."

"Why are you here anyways?" I asked before I could stop myself. He gave me a questioning look. " I'm sorry, is just that you're in a different gym class." I explained quickly.

"I, umm, just felt like skipping." He answered but I could tell he was lying.

"You're lying." I said simply looking up at him.

"No, I'm not." He said crossing his arms trying to act natural.

"It's all in your eyes." I smirked looking at him straight in the eyes.

"Fine, Meiling texted me and I left class early because I knew you'd probably be hiding here." He said casually and we left to Coach's room to start painting.

"Won't you get in trouble?" I asked.

"The only ones in trouble are those idiots who almost drowned you." He said menacingly.

"They didn't know I can't swim." I defended. "Not their fault I almost drowned." Syaoran didn't say anything but I could tell he wasn't going to do anything anymore.

"Why don't you know how to swim?" Syaoran asked.

"Never learned, I think I've gone to the pool once in my life." I shrugged.

"How did you skip the gym pool until now?" He asked as we tied on our smocks.

"I always skip school but that couldn't been avoided today." I smirked and he chuckled. Thankfully the rest of the day went without an incident and we went home. I went up to my room and immersed myself in my homework while Syaoran went to his and did the same I assumed.

Right as I finished up my work, there was a knock on my door and I yelled for them to come in.

"Sakura-sama, someone's at the door for you." Wei called and I nodded before closing my books and following him down the stairs.

"Thank you Wei." I smiled softly before my face hardened at the sight of Yona Saito waiting for me with a fake smile plastered on.

"Wei, I'll be in the first parlor with Saito-san in case Syaoran comes looking for me." I said to Wei hoping he would catch my message. He vowed and left and I led the way to the first parlor on the left.

She stepped into the parlor first and I closed the door behind us. She turned around as soon as I did and her fake smile was gone and replaced with a glare.

"Look at you, acting like the lady of the house already." She snapped and I just sighed. Today had been so tiring I really didn't want to deal with her.

"What do you want Yona?" I asked coldly.

"I'm still your guardian and I need you to come back to the house. It's a mess and we need you to cook for us." She said it so easily, I really thought she was crazy.

"Excuse me?" I asked.

"You heard me, now go get your things. Hope you enjoyed these two days of playing princess because it's back to reality now." She bit out angrily and I stood there in shock.

"This is her reality." Syaoran's voice cut through. He had walked in from the opposite side where the second parlor was. He walked past a very shocked Yona and came to stand next to me. He put his arm around my waist and I blushed lightly at the act.

"I don't know why you're here, but Sakura is in good care now." Syaoran stated firmly and I couldn't help but feel giddy inside for his protection.

"I'm still her legal guardian so I have every right over her." She screeched angrily.

"Actually you don't. My mother took the care to have Sakura emancipated and I'm pretty sure you know with our connections it was very easy." Syaoran smirked and I was happy to see her at a loss of words.

"Now do me a favor and never look for Sakura again or bother her, if not you'll have to deal with not only me but the full force of the entire Li clan." He said in a deadly tone and pulled me with him, leaving Yona by herself. We made our way to his room in silence but I broke it once we got to his room.

"Thank you." I breathed out flopping on his bed.

"I got your message from Wei and was listening to the conversation from the other parlor. I was going to let you handle it but you froze out there." He said and flopped down next to me.

"I don't know but it seemed like it was true." I said lowly.

"What's true?" He asked.

"That I don't belong here." I whispered.

"Of course you do." He said as if it was the most absurd thing he had ever heard.

"You don't understand Syao, you come from a world full of diamonds and glamour and balls and tuxes and sports cars. I don't even know who my real parents are, the only reason my adoptive mom wanted me back was so o could go back and be her maid, I drive a beat up Jeep and I'm invisible." I ranted.

"Cherry, do you know why you and I clicked so well?" He asked turning to face me and I shrugged my shoulders. "Because you were the first person outside of my family to stand up to me, be blunt with me and not care about my family and social status."

"Really?" I asked turning to face him as well.

"Yes, so while you may think we come from different worlds I think you fit perfectly in Syaoran's world." He smiled softly and I smiled back. His face was only inches away from my mine and my heart was racing. He leaned in a little closer when-

"Syaoran-sama, Sakura-sama, dinner is served." Wei called from outside the door and we both sat upright looking at everything but at each other.

Why was my heart hammering in my chest? And why was I disappointed for the interruption? I asked myself as we made our way down to dinner, neither of us looking at each other.

Well there you have it! Next chapter will be full of drama as two girls make their apparance at the worst time possible and two ladies meet after years. Love you guys and thank you for your patience. Till next time :3


	15. Chapter 15

_A/N: Hey guys! Just wanted to thank you all once again for your support and reviews , they really inspire me to writer faster. Also thank you for your patience, I know I used to update more often but it's been a little crazy lately. Anyways enjoy!_

 _~RR~_

 **DarkAngel :3 3**

 _-Syaoran's POV-_

It was Friday and we were all currently in the cafeteria eating lunch. Thankfully the rumors about Sakura and I had already died down and while some people still stared and whispered, we weren't the hot topic of the school anymore.

"So are you excited to start work Syaoran?" Mikio asked me bringing me back to reality.

"As I'll ever be." I joked.

"That means you're starting too, right Saku?" Rika asked.

"Yup, Monday after school Syaoran and I have to report to Li Corp for our first day." She said unenthusiastically from her seat next to me and I couldn't help but chuckle.

"No need to sound so excited Saks." I teased and she rolled her eyes at me.

"Sorry, I am excited, is just that I'm really tired." She said yawning and leaning her head on my shoulder. "It's all your fault too." She pouted with her eyes closed.

"What?!" Tomoyo basically shouted and I winced. "What did you do to her Syaoran?" She seethed angrily.

"Nothing!" I quickly defended and glared at a smirking Sakura. "We stayed up playing Destiny." I explained and I could see Tomoyo visibly relax.

"Like Sakura would actually allow Syaoran to make a move on her." Eriol joked and I glared at him. Everyone laughed and Tomoyo snuggled up to him smiling.

Sakura stirred next to me and I noticed she was actually asleep so I shifted and put my arm around her and moved her head to my chest. She snuggled up to me and gave a contented sigh before settling again.

"Anybody says a word, and I will skin them." I said coldly and everyone nodded mutely but I could practically see the 'awww' in their eyes. Lunch resumed normally when suddenly the cafeteria doors slammed open in a dramatic manner. Everyone's head turned in the direction except for me and the gang since we really weren't interested but soon enough we heard a pair of heels clicking our way.

"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS!" Both girls screamed as they reached our table and my eyes widened in surprise as did Eriol's. Sakura jerked awake a little confused by the sudden scream and looked around in confusion before her eyes settled on the two girls.

Both girls had blonde hair and blue eyes. One sported wavy cropped hair with a purple streak while the other one had straight hair that reached mid-back and had a pink streak running through it. Both were tall and slender with the same build and were dressed in designer clothes from head to toe.

The girl with the purple streak wore a black jacket, a deep purple blouse, a black mini skirt and black leather knee-high boots. The girl in the pink streak wore an identical outfit except her shirt was bright hot pink.

"Eriol! Get away from that ugly hag!" The girl in the purple demanded.

"Syaoran! Who's that childish-looking girl in your arms?" The girl in the pink puffed.

I looked at Eriol who looked pale and confirmed my suspicion, these were the brats from the U.K and we had completely forgotten about their arrival. I was the first one to react, not really caring about the brats.

"It's Li to you, and this beauty next to me is my girlfriend." I said coldly, how dare she call Sakura childish-looking? Sakura was the most beautiful girl I had ever laid eyes on and here she was caked in makeup calling someone else ugly.

"And I would like if you refrained from calling my girlfriend any degrading names." Eriol said in an equally cold voice. The cafeteria had shut up and started to watch the drama unfold.

The girls looked confusedly at the new comers and I could feel Sakura's questioning gaze on me.

"That's impossible! How can they be your girlfriends when you guys are already engaged to us?" The pink one said stomping her foot.

"Engaged?" Tomoyo, Meiling, Rika, Chiharu and Naoko asked in unison, making us wince. Sakura was quiet next to me, her eyes wide in surprise.

"Wait! Hold up! I don't even know you guys, and I'm a Li. If there was an engagement in the family, especially these two, I would know." Meiling said standing up.

"I'm Eliza Rosemary Miranda Braxton, Dutchess of Chester." The pink one said. "But Eliza is fine."

"And my name is Emma Margaret Grace Braxton, Dutchess of Taylor." The purple one said. "But I go by Emma, we're cousins and we were both chosen by the Li Elder's council as official brides for Eriol and Syaoran." She finished in a matter-of-fact tone.

"What!?" Meiling asked being that everyone else was too shocked to even talk. "When was this decided?" She asked and I winced internally knowing what was about to come for Eriol.

"I was selected at the beginning of September." Emma said sweetly looking at Tomoyo straight in the eyes who went stony.

"I was chosen just a couple days ago when that scandal broke out about Syaoran." Eliza smiled and now it was my turn to go stony. "He's to break up with Sakira or whatever her name is and be engaged to me."

"What did you say?" I said menacingly.

"That you need to break up with that ugly little kid over there and get with a real woman like me." She smiled devilishly.

"Did you know about this Eriol?" I asked standing. I was raging with anger, who did the Elders think they were engaging me to some brat?

"No, this is the first time I hear of this." He said.

"But you knew about YOUR engagement." Tomoyo said angrily. Eriol was at a loss of words and looked like a fish with its mouth opening and closing. " I hate you Eriol!" Tomoyo said slapping Eriol before running out of the cafeteria.

"I need both of you to get out of my sight." I growled lowly. They just HAD to open a can of worms.

"But-" Eliza started before she was interrupted.

"I suggest you do as he says, his temper is not the best." Sakura cut in in a strong voice. She had been quiet the entire time just watching everything unfold. Now she stood and put a hand on my back, soothing a little of the anger away without realizing. The girls huffed before leaving and I sighed.

"How the hell did this happen?" I said angrily punching the table and making a dent on it.

"Ok, girls why don't you guys go after Tomoyo and take her home since there's only 2 more classes left and I doubt she's up for them. I'll meet you guys there." Sakura said reacting quickly. "Guys, why don't you take Eriol to Syaoran's house? He'll be there soon I just gotta talk to him for a bit."

Everyone said their goodbyes and went their separate ways. Eriol looked like a zombie being led by Ryuji, you could basically hear his heart breaking with every step he took. I felt a small yet warm hand wrap around mine and saw it was Sakura's.

She started to pull towards the parking lot and I let her do it without protest. Instead of going towards my car though she kept going into the pine forest behind the school until we were completely surrounded by it.

"Try to keep up." She smirked and let go of my hand before beginning to climb the biggest tree in our path.

"Sakura, I'm not up for games." I said still frustrated.

"Awww poow Wolfie afwaid Of heights?" She mocked and I took off after her. I caught up to her quickly only to realize she was laughing as I chased her.

"Ok, we're here." She said suddenly stopping at a thick branch and sitting on it. I mimicked her and saw on the branch opposite of her and looked at the trees before me. You could see nothing but branches, pine needles and pine cones.

"What am I supposed to be seeing?" I asked.

"You're not supposed to be seeing anything, you got really riled up back there so I brought you here to relax a little." She explained softly

I looked up and realized we were only halfway up the enormous tree and slumped against the trunk.

"You come here often?" I asked curiously.

"I used to, the bullying was so bad last year I used to run away here a lot, which is how I got so good at climbing." She said softly leaning against the trunk as well.

"What about now?" I asked trying to mask my concern.

"Are you kidding?" She laughed " No one dares to even come near with you and the gang around, especially now that I'm your 'beauty' of a girlfriend." She teased and I smirked.

"Hey, nobody is going to insult my temporary girlfriend on my watch, especially if it's by some snobby brats." I defended and she laughed softly.

"You knew about Eriol's engagement, didn't you?" She asked softly after a moment of silence.

I debated my options for a couple minutes before deciding to just tell her the truth, I couldn't bear to lie to her regardless. "Yes" I said softly and looked up to see her watching me with sad eyes.

I ran a hand through my hair exasperatedly and sighed. "Eriol knew about the engagement before he started dating Tomoyo But once he met her, he didn't care and decided to go against the elders."

"What about you?" She asked after a minute.

"What about me?" I asked confusedly.

"What's going to happen with us?" She looked at me directly in the eyes and my heart stopped. Electricity seemed to zap between us as she looked up expectantly at me and I swallowed hard dreading my answer.

- _Sakura's POV-_

"What's going to happen to us?" I asked looking at him straight in the eyes expectantly. I didn't know why I really asked but I really wanted an answer. Earlier when I had woken up just to be called a child by some random rich brat I was upset but it was placated right away after Syaoran defended me. I had blushed lightly at him calling me a 'beauty' and calling me his girlfriend so confidently but it was all for nothing now. I knew he couldn't go against the Elders and there was no way I could compete with a dutchess.

When Eliza had announced she was chosen by the elders as Syaoran's new fiancee it was like Ice water had soaked from head to toe. I could still feel the chill in my spine that had zapped me at the announcement. I could see the silent rage that was going through Syaoran's face but I still felt like something was being taken from me and that thought alone stopped me in my tracks. It hit me like a ton of bricks in the face and at the worst time possible too but I had realized I didn't see Syaoran as my best friend only, I was falling for him. Hard. And fast.

Not like it mattered either way, he would probably have to break up our fake relationship and get engaged to that dutchess. Being friends like this was fine, or at least I tried to convince myself that it was, after all I didn't want to ruin the friendship we already had.

"I don't know." He almost whispered and I could see the conflict in his eyes. We stayed in silence for what felt like hours before it began to rain.

"Just do what your heart says, at the end of the day it's your future they're deciding." I advised and Syaoran nodded.

"Come on, we have a 2 friends that need us." He said and began to climb down the tree. By now the rain was pouring making climbing down a little harder since the moss on the tree was making the trunk slippery. Just as I was climbing down the last branch I slipped and lost my balance, I closed my eyes bracing for the impact but it never came.

Instead I was enveloped in strong warm arms and I looked up to find myself just inches away from Syaoran's face. His eyes were like two ambers on fire and all I wanted to do was melt in them. How had I not noticed how crazy my heart beat every time I was this close to him? Or how my stomach seemed to be housing a million butterflies, all of them flapping their wings wildly?

We stayed that way for minutes each of us frozen at the proximity of our faces. His gaze lowered to my lips and just as my eyelids grew heavy in expectation our phones rang. We jumped back and picked up.

"Sakura? Will you be here soon? Tomoyo won't calm down so we need your help." Chiharu said as I answered.

"Yo Syaoran, Eriol isn't reacting to anything, he's literally a walking zombie." I heard Hiro say to Syaoran.

"I'll be right there." We answered in unison and hung up.

"I need to get my car, so I'll ride home with you." I said and he nodded. I lead the way out of the forest and just as we made our way to the car Syaoran grabbed my hand, making me turn around to face him.

"I won't accept the engagement, even if it means going against the elders, I won't allow it." He said firmly, his strong yet warm voice filling me with happiness. I couldn't help the smile forming on my face at his confession.

"I'm glad." I smiled gently and kissed his cheek before I could think about it twice. I got in the car without waiting for a reaction and buckled in. Seconds later Syaoran hopped in and started to drive home neither of us speaking, but this time it was different. Low music filled the air and I hummed along softly, enough had been said; for now at least.

We made it home and I immediately hopped onto my car and made my way over to Tomoyo's. I didn't even knock and just barreled in shocking the maids which just smiled at me in amusement. I heard Tomoyo before I walked into her room, her wails could be heard at the end of the hallway.

I walked in and immediately Tomoyo latched onto me, her hot tears soaking my hoodie (well Syaoran's hoodie). I hugged her and looked up to find 4 girls looking at me eyes with concerned eyes.

"How you holding up babe?" I asked Tomoyo softly and she looked up at me, her cheeks were tear streaked and her face was red from her crying.

"I hate him so much, Saku." She sobbed and hugged me once more. I sighed deeply and grabbed her by the shoulders.

"Get a hold of yourself!" I said strongly and she looked at me with wide eyes, as did the girls. "You and I both know you're stronger than this Tomoyo!"

"Sakura that's really tou-" Naoko began but Meiling stopped at her and shook her head no.

"You love Eriol, right?" I asked and she nodded softly.

"I said YOU LOVE ERIOL RIGHT!?" I asked stronger this time, my voice vibrating through the whole room.

"YES!" Tomoyo scream exasperatedly.

"Then fight for him! Yes, he knew about the engagement but he still chose to pursue YOU! Not some fancy British Duchess but YOU! Now are you going to let her take the man you love away?" I asked raising an eyebrow.

"No!" She smiled through tears and I smiled in return. We hugged tightly and the girls joined us too. We laughed as we separated and made our way to sit on Tomoyo's bed.

"I told you guys Sakura would know what to do." Meiling gloated and we laughed.

"I got really scared when she started yelling at her though." Naoko sweat dropped and I smiled.

"Sakura is like a sister to me, so she knew how much to exactly push me." Tomoyo said wiping her tears away and I smiled.

"What's going to happen now?" Rika asked.

"Yeah, What did Syaoran-kun say Saku? You guys talked for a long time." Chiharu said suggestively and I laughed.

"He didn't know about the engagement until today but he told me he's planning to fight the Elders on this, Eriol will too most likely." I explained and I hoped they didn't notice I said that a little too excited.

"Wait, is it me or did Sakura beam in joy when she said he would fight it?" Tomoyo smirked. Damn it, She was too good.

"Yeah Sakura, why are you so happy my cousin wants to keep a fake relationship with you?" Meiling smirked as well and I knew my jig was up.

"I kinda, maybe, sort-of, like Syaoran in a more-than-friends kind of way." I said quickly and hid my face behind a pillow. The girls squealed in unison and I winced behind the pillow.

"Finally!" Tomoyo shouted with glee and I put my pillow down.

"What do you mean Finally?" I asked confusedly and the girls just looked at me as if I was the cutest thing in the world.

"Sakura, you're really intuitive when it comes to everyone but yourself. We've known you like him since forever." Meiling smiled.

"Was it obvious?" I asked shocked and they all nodded happily.

"Well for everyone except you and Syaoran." Naoko jokes and I smacked her with my pillow playfully.

"Are you going to confess?" Rika asked expectantly but I shook my head no.

"I don't want to ruin the friendship we have plus with all the stuff he already has to deal with I don't want to add this on top." I said decidedly.

"Are you sure Sakura?" Meiling asked and I thought I heard a hint of sadness in her voice.

"I'm sure, plus I doubt he sees me as more than a friend." I joked and they all sweat-dropped. "So please, this doesnt leave this room." I made them swear and they smiled nodding.

"Now to get rid of those british hags…" Meiling said evilly and we all listened intently to her plan.

- _Syaoran's POV-_

I walked into the playroom to see Eriol slumped over the bar and the guys sitting around him uneasily with a drink in their hands. I sighed and walked over to the bar making myself a rum and Coke before sitting next to him.

"So what now?" I asked him but he didn't respond. I put my drink down and yanked him back by the collar "I said what now?" I asked again in a firm voice and he still looked lto be in La La Land and not responding. I stood up yanking him along and punched him then, Square in the jaw.

The guys stood quickly as if to hold me back but I didn't have to punch him again, he looked at me ready to kill. He tried to swing at me but I blocked, Mikio made a move to restrain Eriol but I stopped him.

"Don't get involved!" I yelled and they backed up. Eriol made a move to swing at me again but I blocked again and got him with a gut punch. "SO THIS IS ALL YOU'RE GOING TO DO? SIT ON YOUR ASS AND WAIT FOR SOMETHING TO BE DONE FOR YOU!" I screamed. "The Eriol I know is a damn mastermind who's always one step ahead and nobody ever tells him who he can or can't love. BECAUSE YOU LOVE HER RIGHT?! Admit it! The only reason you're so worked up is because you FREAKING LOVE HER!" I finished and this seemed to bring him back to his senses, because he caught my jaw with a hook kick.

We both stood in fighting stances, sweating, face to face, waiting for the other to attack; but it never came. We both cracked a smile at the same time and dropped our guard.

"I love her." He said adjusting his glasses and I knew that meant he was going to fight this.

"Finally!" I said sarcastically and we did our handshake.

"Now, how about another drink?" Ryuji chimed in and we all laughed taking back our seats.

"I really thought y'all were going to beat each other up." Mikio joked and we laughed.

"Sometimes guys just need to talk with their fists, specially when you're like these two who are both family and friends." Takashi explained.

My phone rang and I knew by the ringtone it was Sakura; she had changed her personal ringtone to the Sailor moon theme song two weeks back when I had lost a bet we had made on who got the most kills on call of duty and I lost by one kill. I answered and glared at the guys who were dying to burst out laughing at my ringtone.

"Yo?... Ok..ok, I'll let my mom and Wei know… do you need clothes? Wait never mind I know Tomoyo probably has a whole wardrobe just for you… I'll let the guys know… I'll pass the message to Eriol… Ok… text me… goodnight." I hung up just to find all the guys with an amused face on them.

"What?" I asked.

"Oh just watching young love bloom." Hiro joked and I glared at them.

"Easy on the glare dude! We're just kidding!" He defended and I chuckled.

"I know, I'm just playing but it was Sakura letting me know the girls are having a sleepover tonight. Tomoyo and her are going to a dinner with Tomoyo's mom and then going clubbing with the girls. She told me to tell you guys, the girls will be calling you guys soon and Eriol she says she's going to beat you up for making Tomoyo cry." I explained and chuckled again and the last part.

"So they're having a girls night basically?" Ryuji asked and I nodded.

"They're trying to cheer up Tomoyo and stuff." I said nonchalantly but I saw Eriol's hand tighten around his glass.

"Well how about a guys night?" Takashi proposed and I thought about it.

"I mean if we think about it all we've been doing is hang out with the girls lately, so I could go for a guys night." Hiro agreed and Mikio and Takashi nodded.

"Eriol?" I asked and after a couple seconds he nodded and so did I.

"Wooooo!!!!! Guys night!!!!!" Ryuji hollered and we all laughed.

Tonight was definitely going to be interesting.

A/N: Well that's that! Please let me know what you think or any questions, I'll address them next chapter. Next chapter will be full of twists and surprises so be on the look out! Till next time :3 3


	16. Chapter 16

A/N: Hey guys! Im so so so so so sorry that I didnt update on my usual Sunday/Monday days but It's a little crazy for me right now. This chapter is a little on the short side but I didn't want to overwhelm you guys because there is a lot coming your way. Thank you guys again for making it this far with me :3 you guys rock! And thank you for all your reviews, I love them all :3 Anyways here you go~ 3

- **DarkAngel :3**

 _-Sakura's POV-_

I sat on Tomoyo's bed as she rummaged through her closet for something for us to wear to the family dinner she had to attend. The rest of the girls had returned back to their houses to pack their overnight bags and to get ready for our girls night tonight. Tomoyo had given me a brief rundown of how her missing auntie was actually found after all these years and everything about her.

She had insisted that I came with her for support since she was nervous about meeting her long-lost auntie so I agreed.

"Here." She smiled as she handed me a pink silk blouse, dark jeans and a white loose cardigan. She disappeared back to her closet and I began to change.

"Oh Sakura, I'm so nervous." She said from the closet, her voice sounding muffled.

"You'll be fine Tomoyo, you should be excited about meeting her." I said walking into her closet to find some boots, having the same shoe size was convenient at times like these.

"I am, but my mom hasn't seen her in almost 18 years, it's going to be an emotional night I can tell." She said and I couldn't help but think she was right. She looked absolutely gorgeous in a violet dress, black tights, black thigh-high boots and a white jean jacket.

"Tomoyo!" I heard Tomoyo's mom, Sonomi, call from downstairs.

"Coming!" Tomoyo called back. "Now that I think about it, this will be the first time you meet my mom as well. She's always away when you come over so I've never had the chance to introduce you two to each other."

"Best friends forever and I just now meet your mom." I joked and she rolled her eyes playfully and pushed me towards the door.

We made our way downstairs to the foyer where a beautiful woman with cropped brown hair and matching brown eyes awaited for us. She wore a black pencil skirt and blazer with a white button down shirt and black red-bottomed heels.

"We'll actually be going to a private little restaurant off of Tokyo and it will be just your auntie, not her whole family. She didn't want overwhelm you-" she stopped short at the sight of me. The entire time she had been rummaging for something in her purse but as we came into view she stopped in the middle of her sentence, her eyes wide in bewilderment.

"Mom, this is Sakura, my best friend. Sakura, this is my mother Sonomi Daidouji." Tomoyo introduced us with a smile.

"Nice to meet you." I smiled politely and Tomoyo's mom broke out of her trance.

"KAWAII!" She screamed and engulfed me in a hug. "Oh it's so nice finally meet you! Tomoyo speaks of nothing but you, she's even shown me pictures of you wearing her designs but I you're even cuter in person."

"Can't. Breathe." I wheezed out and she let me go a little embarrassed.

"Sorry, I got a little excited, but please Sakura treat me as your auntie and call me Sonomi." She smiled gently and I found myself smiling back.

"Thank you." I smiled and saw Tomoyo with a huge smile on her face. " I hope you don't mind my intrusion tonight, but Tomoyo insisted."

"Nonsense! I asked her to have a friend come with. I want us to have fun tonight, after all I get to see my precious little sister after all these years." She smiled and we were on our way.

Around 30 minutes later we arrived at a small restaurant by Tokyo bay, it was small but private and the entire restaurant offered an ocean view.

"Someone is already waiting for us, under Daidouji." Sonomi informed the host and he nodded before leading us to a table towards the back. The restaurant was mostly empty, with only a couple two-tops scattered.

A woman with her back to us awaited at the table. Her hair was surprisingly close in length to mine but held Tomoyo's hair color, just a shade or two lighter and more silver than purple. She turned around and stood at the sound of our footsteps and I was met with amazing emerald green eyes. She locked eyes with me and we held each other's gaze in shock before Sonomi launched herself onto the beautiful woman.

"I've missed you so much Nadeshiko!" Sonomi cried and I could hear in her voice she was crying. The woman, Nadeshiko, hugged her back and shed silent tears with her. Tomoyo held my hand and I looked at her to find her shedding silent tears as well. I squeezed her hand in comfort and she smiled sadly wiping her tears away. A couple minutes passed before the pair separated and Sonomi wiped her eyes quickly.

"Nadeshiko, this is my daughter Tomoyo and her best friend Sakura." She introduced and Nadeshiko smiled at us.

"It's nice to finally meet you auntie." Tomoyo smiled and hugged her briefly.

"Nice to meet you as well." I smiled shyly and bowed my head slightly.

"It's a pleasure to meet you both." She smiled. Her voice was angelic and motherly, but somehow nostalgic. "Come on, let's sit."

We sat and a waiter came to us a couple seconds after. Sonomi ordered an appetizer to share and we ordered our drinks as well.

"So, what happened?" Sonomi said in a low voice after the Waiter was out of earshot.

"It's a long story so let's order first." She smiled kindly and Sonomi nodded. We chatted idly about the menu until our waiter came back with our drinks and took our dinner orders.

"Ok then," Nadeshiko started, her voice low and smooth " After I gave birth to my daughter, I was kidnapped along with her." Sonomi gasped loudly as did Tomoyo, while I listened intently to the story; I felt like an outsider listening to something so personal of her but she seemed to not mind my presence. "After you left the hospital Sonomi, my husband was supposed to come over and stay the night but he wasn't able to find anyone to watch our son.

They kidnapped me and my daughter that night and brought us to an abandoned house in the countryside. About 6 men inhabited the house and none of them spoke Japanese, but thankfully an older woman who was in charge of the housekeeping and cooking spoke some broken Japanese. They kept me and my daughter locked up in the attic and the only person we ever saw was the older woman. They never told us why we were kept but this went on for two months before we were found."

The older woman had apparently tipped off the police about the hideout when she learned they were going to get rid of me and my daughter. They had confused us as a foreign queen and princess who were in hiding in Japan, because of our rare colored eyes. When the police arrived at the hideout everything went into chaos. The men left but not before killing the old woman, whose name I didn't even get to learn unfortunately, and taking my daughter with them." She finished and I could see how upset she was even as she tried to keep it together.

Somewhere along the line the waiter had served our now cold dinner, since none of us bothered to touch it.

"Oh Nadeshiko! I didn't know. I'm so sorry for not being there for you." Sonomi cried hugging her.

"It's ok 'Nomi." Nadeshiko smiled. "Afterall me, my husband and my son had to go into hiding for several years after, it wasn't until 3 years ago that we moved back to Tomoeda."

"What about your daughter, did you ever find her?" Tomoyo asked quietly.

"Not yet." Nadeshiko smiled sadly. "But we will find her and hopefully she'll be willing to let us make it up to her for not being able to find her sooner."

My heart warmed up as she said that. She had said it with such warmth and determination, it had me wishing I was her long lost daughter.

"Sorry to throw all of this on you Sakura-chan." She smiled at me and I shook my head in disagreement.

"Oh no, I'm sorry to be intruding in such a personal matter." I apologized.

"Nonsense, If i hadn't felt comfortable I wouldn't have shared it." She smiled warmly and I could feel myself return it.

"Well how about switching topics?" Sonomi smiled and we all nodded in unison. The waiter came around and heated up our dinners kindly.

"Tomoyo, how are you and Eriol?" Sonomi asked and Tomoyo stopped mid-bite. She hesitated a little before I jumped in.

"They're great, absolutely adorable when they are together." I joked and Tomoyo looked at me with a thankful expression.

"What about you Sakura? I heard you're living with a friend?" Sonomi asked moving onto me.

"Yeah, I'm currently living with my other best friend Syaoran Li. His mom offered to help me after my adoptive mom kicked me out over a small argument." I explained without holding back, there was no reason to sugarcoat things after everything they had discussed in front of me.

"Adoptive mom?" Nadeshiko asked and I nodded.

"I was apparently found by myself in a forest by an elderly couple who brought me to the police station. I was put up for adoption afterwards but I was adopted quickly since I was still a baby." I explained.

"It must have been harsh on you." Nadeshiko said sadly.

"I can't really complain, I mean I didn't get the best mother but at least I was adopted, there's many kids who stay in orphanages until they become legal adults." I shrugged and she smiled at me.

"Kawaii!" Sonomi cried and hugged me to death. We finished our dinner on a light note chatting about everything. I got to know Nadeshiko better and I had to say I really liked her, she was warm and caring and had this bubbly personality that made her seem to be glowing all the time. I also found out Sonomi was also very like Tomoyo, she ran a large toy and electronic emporium which was why she was hardly ever home but she cared deeply for Tomoyo and was all for supporting her fashion career.

We walked along the boardwalk after dinner, Tomoyo and Sonomi in front catching up and Nadeshiko and I in the back in comfortable silence.

"Are you ok Sakura-chan?" Nadeshiko asked after a little while.

"Oh yes, I'm sorry I was just deep in thought." I said sheepishly.

"What are you thinking about? If you don't mind me asking."

"Just have a lot in my mind, too much to actually put into words."

"Well I have time if you ever need a second opinion." She smiled kindly and I knew I could trust her.

"I actually do need one, I mean don't get me wrong I love all my friends and they are the best friends I could ever ask for, but I think I'd like to hear an opinion from someone outside our circle, If you don't mind."

"If you'd like I can meet with you tomorrow so we can talk about it without rushing. Do you know that small bookshop by the train station?" She asked and I nodded eagerly.

"Of course! I'm a regular there." I smiled.

"Me too!" She laughed "We can meet there around 3 tomorrow?"

"Sounds good." I smiled and we heard Sonomi and Tomoyo calling for us.

We said our goodbyes and we went our separate ways, Sonomi dropped us off at the house before leaving again for the office and promising to have brunch with us the next day.

"I really liked your auntie Tomoyo." I said as we made our way to her room.

"I really liked her too, thank you for coming with me Saku." She smiled and I smiled back.

"Of course, I'm sorry about lying to your mom about Eriol though."

"No, no, It's ok. I really didn't want to her to worry either way. Just thinkin back to this afternoon gets me upset."

"Oh no, none of that, now come on we gotta call the girls to let them know we're here." I said and she nodded.

We called up the girls and in less than 15 minutes they pulled up and then it was makeover city. The girls all fussed over Tomoyo and I took the chance to sneak away and call Syaoran.

"Yo." I heard his deep voice answer on the other side and I locked the bathroom door.

"Hey Syao, listen I came up with a plan to get Tomoyo to listen to Eriol, but Eriol can't know."

-Syaoran's POV-

"Hey Syao, listen I came up with a plan to get Tomoyo to listen to Eriol, but Eriol can't know." I heard Sakura say over the phone and I went into the bathroom locking the door behind me. The guys were all in my room getting ready for our night out.

"Ok, what's the plan?" I asked.

"I need you to take Eriol to the club we're going to tonight, It's called Hell's Escape and it's in downtown Tokyo."

"We were actually planning to have a guys night either way and we're heading out soon. Why do you want me to bring him there?"

"Just follow my lead when we meet you guys." She said and I heard a muffled Tomoyo in the background. "I gotta go, talk to you later."

"Ok, I'll see you there, bye Saku."

"Bye Wolfie." she hung up and I smiled at the nickname.

"Guys, are we ready?" I asked coming out of the bathroom and they all nodded.

We were all wearing dark jeans, black boots, and black leather jackets, the only thing different was the color of or v-necks; I wore forest green, Eriol Navy blue, Ryuji burgundy, Takashi burnt orange, Mikio white and Hiroki sky blue.

"We can take the SUV." I said and we headed towards the garage.

"Where are we going?" Miki asked.

"You'll see, I'm driving" I answered and hopped in the driver's seat as they piled in the car.

We got to the club and I handed keys to the valet.

"Hell's Escape? I heard this place is poppin' " Ryuji said excitedly.

"Well let's go!" Hiro yelled excitedly and we walked up to the bouncer who just nodded at me and let us in.

The place really was poppin', it had two floors and red lights danced across the dance floor as well as black fog. Two bars were on the second floor and two more forming a circle were on the first floor. High red gloss tables were scattered on the edges of the dance floor and big red leather couches could be seen at the second floor. Black metal railing encircled the second floor and a bouncer stood at either staircase, showing the second floor was the VIP section.

I scanned the club for the girls but it seemed they weren't here yet and so I nodded at the guys to the second floor and they nodded. We took over an area and ordered a round of drinks from one of the waitresses. They all wore short tight red dresses and little devil horns but they all stared in our direction for too long for my taste.

We sipped our drinks and played cards before Takashi threw his cards down in exasperation.

"I'm bored." He sighed.

"I know, since when did hanging out without the girls get so boring?" Miki complained throwing down his cards too.

"To be honest I'm too worried about Tomoyo to even think about having fun." Eriol sighed and my phone buzzed with a text from Sakura:

' _We're downstairs at the bar, get Eriol to notice Tomoyo, some guy is trying to hit on her."_

I stood throwing my cards down and leaned over the railing to scan the crowd. I spotted Sakura who nodded her head slightly and I winked back. She looked absolutely gorgeous I took notice, she wore a pink velvet spaghetti-strapped shirt with a blue denim jacket over it and matching blue denim jeans. Black suede block-heeled booties adorned her feet and her ponytail was curled. The light makeup she wore only accented her natural beauty and apparently I wasn't the only one who noticed because several guys were sizing her up to.

"Hey Eriol, isn't that Tomoyo down there?" I said nonchalantly and he was next to me in a flash. He narrowed his eyes at the guy hitting on Tomoyo below and slammed down his glass before making his way downstairs. The guys and I exchanged looks before we ran downstairs too to prevent a scene from happening.

"Get your hands off of her." I heard Eriol say before he almost launched himself onto the dude. I held him back before he could attack.

"Cool it man!" I said restraining him.

"What are you guys doing here!" Tomoyo cried.

"No, the question is who is he?" Eriol said in a menacing voice.

"I'm sorry dude, I didn't know she was taken." The guy shrugged back.

"Oh she's taken alright, and if you don't leave I'll make sure you dissapear off the face of the earth." He basically growled and the guy practically ran out of the club.

"Eriol! You have no right!" Tomoyo cried and thats when I was able to finally get a good look at her. She wore a purple skin-tight dress that reached mid-thigh and white pumps. Her hair was down and a couple strands were curled but overall she looked good and Eriol knew it.

"Tomoyo, you and I need to talk. Now." He said in a serious tone and before she could even protest he was pulling her by the hand outside.

"Well that worked out." Meiling said and I saw her standing next to Ryuji in a short,red chinese style dress and matching heels, her hair was held up by chopsticks.

"I just hope they can work it out." Rika smiled stepping over to Miki. Rika,Chiharu and Naoko were all dressed in similar outfits. They all sported black jackets and jeans with a white, yellow, and aqua v-neck perspectively. All of them had their down and wore black boots.

"We really didn't know you girls were going to be here though." Takashi said standing next to Chiharu and planted a kiss on her temple.

"We were bored without you girls anyways." Hiro laugh and pulled Naoko close by her shoulders.

I looked at Sakura who smiled at me and I smirked back. I moved and stood next to Sakura before I pulled her to my side by the waist.

"Everyone's looking." I whispered in her ear and she nodded shyly. I looked up and saw the men who had been eyeing her suddenly look down and appear busy, making me chuckle.

"Let's go dance!" Meiling proposed and everyone cheered, Sakura smiled up at me and I let her lead me to the dance floor.

 _-Tomoyo's POV-_

Eriol had dragged me down the block to a park bench where I took a seat without a word and crossed my legs.

"I knew about the proposal ok? I knew about it." Eriol said in a low voice and I looked up at him. His eyes gleamed with anger but I felt exactly the same. "But I also knew you were the masked girl at Kari's party and I also knew that talking to you and asking you to be my girlfriend was not something to take lightly. There was one thing I didn't know though." He paused and looked at me.

"What was that?" I asked in almost a whisper.

"I didn't know you would make me fall relentlessly in love with you." He whispered taking my hands and my eyes widened.

"Love?" I whispered in surprise.

"I Love you, Tomoyo." He smiled gently. "And I will do anything and fight anyone for you."

I smiled widely and kissed him profoundly. "I love you too Eriol" I whispered and he smiled back.

A/N: Well that's all for now guys! Please remember to review and follow this story for more. Love you guys :3 Till next time 3


	17. Chapter 17

A/N- hey guys! I'm so sorry for confusing you! I meant to put this begging piece at the end of the last chapter but I wanted to update and it was going to take a little bit to write everything. Also some of you have pointed out some grammatical errors and I do apologize BUT I really do try my best. If I had a beta reader it would delay my updates since I write almost everything in a session or two so I really do apologize. I will be going back after I'm done with the fic to fix those errors though. Anyways! Thank you for reading this far, love you all 3 Enjoy :3

~ **DarkAngel**

~ **RR** ~

 **Kinomoto Residence***

 _-No one's POV_ -

Nadeshiko stepped into the house with a big smile plastered on her face.

"How was the dinner Honey? How's Sonomi?" Fujitaka asked as his wife stepped into the living room.

"Oh honey!" She said excitedly hugging him and then settling on his lap.

"Went that good?" He laughed and she nodded happily.

"Sonomi is the same as ever and her daughter Tomoyo is absolutely lovely but that's not why I'm so excited."

"Then why?"

"Tomoyo is best friends with Sakura!" She almost shouted in joy.

"Our Sakura?" Fujitaka asked in amazement.

"Yes! The same one we saw on TV the other day. Our eyes are identical and she actually shared that she's adopted." Nadeshiko explained.

"So she really might be our daughter?" Fujitaka smiled and Nadeshiko nodded eagerly.

"I'm actually going to see her again tomorrow." Nadeshiko smiled.

"That's great, but does she know that you think she might be our daughter?"

"No, I didn't mention anything, after all I wasn't expecting to meet her so soon and I also didn't want to scare her." Nadeshiko said leaning on Fujitaka's chest.

"It's understandable, so what are you going to do now?" Fujitaka said hugging Nadeshiko close.

"I just want to get to know her and befriend her, although I can tell you she's a sweetheart. I just wish there was a way we could know for sure."

"If you want we could a DNA test with a strand of her hair." Fujitaka proposed.

"Might be a little hard to get a strand but I think it might be our best chance, but we have to tell her the truth once we know for sure." Nadeshiko said and Fujitaka planted a kiss on the top of her head.

"Of course sweetheart." He smiled and she smiled back.

- _Sakura's POV_ -

Despite the little showdown earlier, we were all having a blast. Eriol and Tomoyo came back holding hands and smiling from ear to ear so I guessed my plan to make Eriol realize what he might lose worked. Also, Syaoran and I couldn't keep our hands off of each other, granted we were acting like a couple because we were in public but being pressed against Syaoran's strong body wasn't exactly torture.

For once we actually enjoyed a full night out without any incidents making us leave early. Around 4 we decided to call it a night and headed out. A bunch of paparazzi swarmed us as we tried to leave the club, but the guys automatically protected us girls against them and we were able to make it back to our cars.

"That was crazy." I laughed as I settled in the driver's seat, I was the designated driver so I hadn't drank all night. We had said our goodbyes to the boys quickly as to not get attacked again and left in a hurry.

"I'm used to it." Meiling yawned. "You and Tomoyo should get used to it, since you guys are going to marry into the family."

"Ha-ha very funny." I said sarcastically and she laughed at her joke. After some idle conversation we made it to Tomoyo's.

"I'm so beat." Rika yawned as we made our way to Tomoyo's room.

"But we finally had a good time, without any issues or Kari." Naoko smiled sleepily.

"Agreed." We all chorused in unison and laughed. We all changed into our PJs and the girls pulled the sofa bed in the corner. Meiling, Tomoyo and I were sharing Tomoyo's bed and Chiharu, Rika and Naoko were going to sleep in the king-sized sofa bed. Tomoyo turned off the lights and we snuggled into the covers.

"So is everything ok with Eriol?" Chiharu asked in a sly tone.

"He told me he loved me." Tomoyo answered and we all awed. "And he also said he'd fight for us."

"That's so romantic." Naoko said dramatically and we chuckled.

"To be honest, we're all really lucky to have such good boyfriends." Rika commented.

"And they're all hot too!" Meiling giggled and we joined.

"Not all of us, Syaoran and I are pretending, remember?" I sighed.

"Tonight it seemed real to me, with all the touching and dancing so close." Tomoyo joked and I could feel my face heat up.

"He probably had too much to drink." I tried to defend but Meiling laughed.

"He was the designated driver too, so he only had one drink all night." She remarked and the girls laughed.

"Don't laugh! It's embarrassing enough as it is!" I cried and that made them laugh even more.

"Fine, Fine." Meiling said settling down. "Goodnight lovelies"

"Goodnight." We all said in unison and giggled once more before we slipped into unconsciousness.

The next day I woke up later than usual at 10:30. I looked around and saw all the girls were still sleeping in so I decided to start my morning routine before it became crazy city. After a hot shower and changing into jeans and a black hoodie I made my way downstairs to the kitchen.

"Good morning Sakura!" Sonomi chirped happily.

"Good morning Sonomi." I smiled.

"Tomoyo and the girls still sleeping?" She asked and I nodded my head yes."Well how about you and I enjoy some breakfast then?"

We made our way to the dining room where a couple of maids served us a variety of breakfast foods.

"I didn't know what you girls liked so I had them make little bit of everything." Sonomi smiled.

"This is amazing, thank you." I smiled back and we dug into our food. Everything was delicious and I found Sonomi very easy to speak to. We spoke about everything and I was glad I was able to talk like this with her.

"Thank you for eating with me Sakura-chan, I hope to see you more often." Sonomi said as we finished and she headed out to a meeting with some investors. "Let Tomoyo-chan know I'll see her tonight for dinner."

"I will, have a good day Sonomi." I smiled and she left. I picked up a business book from the bookshelf in the living room and plopped myself on the couch to read, after all it wouldn't be too long before the girls woke up and the house would be filled with sound.

- _Syaoran's POV-_

I woke up later than usual at 8 am and almost laughed at the scene around me. Takashi was draped on the couch sleeping, as were Miki and Hiro who were on the floor. Ryu had fallen asleep hugging the coffee table and I guessed Eriol was in his room across the hall. I got up quietly and set for my dojo downstairs to practice.

After an hour of practice and a quick shower, I set off to my mother's office, I had a couple things that she needed to explain to me. I knocked on the door and she called for me to come in, but instead of her usual seat at her desk she sat at her lounge with breakfast ready for us on the coffee table.

"Good morning Xiaolang, I thought I would hear from you today." My mother smiled and I nodded. The maid as usual bowed and left us in private.

"Good morning Mother." I kissed her cheek and sat down across from her.

"So what's on your mind son?" She asked as she took a sip of her tea.

"Two girls, Eliza and Emma, sound familiar?" I asked in a serious tone.

"You don't mean?" She gasped.

"Yes mother, not only did they show up at the school but they put on a whole show in front of everyone and Tomoyo ended up almost breaking up with Eriol." I explained.

"What about Sakura-chan? She didn't sleep here last night, was she upset with you too?"

"No, she actually calmed me down when I got upset with Eliza and Emma, and actually listened to what I had to say so we didn't argue. She slept over Tomoyo's for a girls night since Tomoyo was upset over Eriol."

"That's good to hear, but going back to the Duchesses, I did try to oppose the Elders but my hands are tied." She said sadly.

"I supposed as much." I sighed frustratedly " But Eriol and I aren't going to stay quiet about it."

"I knew you wouldn't, you and Eriol are both adults now so it's natural for you guys to stand up for yourselves. Besides, them choosing brides for you is an old-fashion rule the younger generations has been trying to get rid off for years, but please tell me what happened at school."

I explained Friday's events and she listened intently.

"Sakura says the girls have a plan to get rid of them but if that fails Eriol and I know what to do." I finished.

"I trust that you do son, are you and Sakura going to keep your platonic relationship going?" She asked and I nodded.

"There's no point in breaking off our relationship if we are going to stand up to the elders, plus it wouldn't look good to break-up after going public for such a short period of time." I explained and she smiled.

"I have raised such an intelligent and capable young man, your father would be so proud." Her eyes softened and I felt my chest swell up with pride. "Are you ready for your first day tomorrow?"

"As I'll ever be." I sighed and she laughed.

"You'll do absolutely fine after all it's nothing you haven't done before, now let's eat, the meal is getting cold." She ordered with a smiled and I complied.

- _Sakura's POV-_

I hadn't been wrong at all about the girls. They had thundered downstairs in a flurry of giggles and chatter and I closed my book with a smile. I met them at the dining room and they all greeted me with a smile.

"Good morning Sakura, you woke up early." Tomoyo smiled as i sat with them and poured myself some tea.

"Early? It's almost 2:00pm." I laughed and the girls joined.

"I still don't know how you actually got up earlier than us, when we went to sleep at 5." Meiling said yawning.

"Pfft, this is nothing, Syaoran gets up at 5 to train so I'm usually up by 6 when he gets back." I shrugged.

"You're so lucky to live with the person you like." Chiharu whined.

"All this time I've just seen him as a best friend, I don't know if that will change now." I said shrugging my shoulders.

"I'm sure you'll be fine Sakura-chan." Rika encouraged and I smiled in appreciation.

The girls ate while I sipped my tea and soon we were just chatting over empty plates.

"Well ladies, I actually need to go to the book store really quick, so I'll see you tomorrow at school." I announced and I said my goodbyes. "Oh, 'Moyo can I borrow this business book from the library in the living room?"

"Of course Sakura, you know this is your house as well." She smiled and I thanked her before lacing on my converse and hopping in my Jeep.

I walked into my favorite bookshop and the bell chimed announcing my presence.

"Good afternoon, Mrs.Himeko." I smiled at the elderly woman behind the counter.

"Sakura! It's been so lonely without you, but I did happen to see you on the news the other day." She smiled and I blushed.

"Stop teasing the poor girl." Mr. Himeko said stepping behind his wife.

"I know dear, but I told you there was something going on." She laughed and my faced went even redder.

"Now, now, come on Sakura, I have some pumpkin cheesecake you're going to love." Mr.Himeko said ushering me away from his smiling wife and I followed smiling shyly.

After getting my slice of cheesecake and a cup of tea I headed for my usual seat to wait for Nadeshiko and pulled out the business book I had been reading earlier.

"Hello Sakura." Nadeshiko greeted a little while later. She looked beautiful in a pair of light jeans, a light blue blouse and an oversized cream cardigan. Her hair was down and she wore brown boots to complete her outfit.

"Hi Nadeshiko." I smiled putting down my book. I saw her place down a cup of Earl gray and a slice of cheesecake before taking a seat across from me. "Sorry for having you meet me."

"Oh, nonsense, it's my pleasure really. Now, what did you need my opinion on?" She smiled gently at me.

"Well, it's kind of embarrassing but it's about a guy." I admitted and I felt my face heat up slightly.

"There's nothing to be embarrassed about." She reassured me and I relaxed.

"Well there's this guy, Syaoran…" I started and went on to tell her everything that had happened these past couple months. It was like I had opened a floodgate gate because I found myself telling her about my mother and sister as well.

"So now I'm not sure if I want to break the friendship bond I have with him just because I found out I have romantic feelings for him." I finished. She had sat quietly the entire time, nodding along to indicate she was listening.

"I can definitely see your dilemma, but I think if you having nothing to worry about. This young man, Syaoran, seems to care for you deeply and I believe that you realizing your feelings for him will not change how he sees you." She said in a soothing voice.

"Really? I mean I don't even know if I'm going to confess my feelings but I don't want our relationship to change."

"It's understandable but you really have nothing to worry about. Love is a fickle thing but it's one of the greatest things out there, so just follow your heart, it won't lead you astray." She smiled and I was suddenly overwhelmed with a pang of sadness. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, it's just I really wished I had a mom at times like these. My adoptive mother is out of the question and I never learned what happened with my real mother." I explained sadly.

"Have you ever thought about searching for her?" She asked curiously.

"I have but I don't know even where to start, honestly. Plus I don't even know if she wants to be found."

"I can help you if you'd like, after all I am searching for my daughter as well." She smiled and I nodded. "Here, this is my phone number, just in case you ever need anything."

"Thank you so much, Nadeshiko-san. Talking to you helped me a lot." I said and saved her phone number onto my phone.

"Anytime Sakura-Chan." We spent the rest of the afternoon chatting. She told me all about her husband, Fujitaka, and her eldest son, Touya. They seemed to be a close family and just listening her stories made my heart warm up. In return I told her about my adoptive family and how I was now living with Syaoran, about Tomoyo and the girls.

"Oh look at the time! It's already 6." She said as she glanced at her watch.

"I didn't see the time go by at all. I gotta get home for dinner soon." I said gathering my things as Nadeshiko did the same.

"Me neither, I had a lot of fun today Sakura-Chan. If you'd like we can meet again next Sunday." She proposed and I was happy she did. I couldn't explain it but spending time with her filled a part of me.

"I'd love that." I smiled and after dropping off our plates to Mr. Himeko, we said our goodbyes and I was on my way home with a smile on my face.

- _Syaoran's POV-_

After breakfast with my mother I went back to my room to find the guys still sleeping. I went down to my office and decided to kill some time looking over some reports from the Li Corp. About an hour later Eriol knocked and let himself in.

"I knew I'd find you here." He smirked and took a seat across from my desk.

"Hey, I'm actually just killing some time, the guys are all still sleeping in my room." I said leaning back on my chair.

"Last night was pretty fun." He remarked and I smiled a little.

"It was, it felt good to have some fun after everything that's happened."

"You and Sakura were pretty cozy yesterday." He smiled his Cheshire smile and I rolled my eyes playfully.

"She was just acting because we were in public, but I'm not complaining."

"Sure, sure." He laughed.

"You and Tomoyo made up?" I asked and he nodded.

"I'm glad bro, you were in some kind of funk over it."

"Don't even remind me, I didn't know she was going to have such an effect on me. But I told her I loved her and I was going to hold my own against this stupid engagement stuff." He said and I nodded in understanding.

"Well done, the mastermind was finally taken by surprise." I joked and he laughed.

"Stop it Romeo, you're no better. Just wait until Sakura becomes your girlfriend, she'll have you wrapped around her finger." He teased and I shook my head.

"Already there." I sighed glancing down at the picture of Sakura and I as tinkerbell and Peter Pan on my phone wallpaper. My mother had forwarded the pictures she'd taken the night of the ball and I had particularly liked 1 picture out of the 3. Sakura and I were smiling, my arm around her waist and her head was leaning on my chest. I'd made it my phone wallpaper and gave Sakura a half hearted excuse about it being to make things more believable.

"We can tell." Ryuji called from the door and I threw a notepad at him, laughing.

We spent the rest of the day lazing around and playing games before the guys left around 4. I went back to my office and picked up where I had left off.

"Syaoran?" I heard Sakura call as she knocked.

"Come in." I called and she stepped in and took a seat across from me. "You're back early."

"Early? Syaoran, it's dinner time, that's why I came to get you." She teased and I looked at the time to find she wasn't lying.

"I was doing some work and time must have slipped by." I sighed and leaned back on my chair.

"Let me see." She said and came to stand behind me. "Which reports are these?"

"October's finances." I sighed and leaned forward once again.

"What's this expense?" She asked and I went on to explain. The more I explained, the more questions she asked. She was actually picking things up quickly and the questions she was asking where actually helping me find the errors I was looking for.

"Syaoran-sama, Sakura-sama, would you like me to bring your dinner up here?" Wei asked about half an hour later.

"Please Wei, I'm sorry for the bother." I said and went back to work. We ate as we worked and I found Sakura to be more knowledgeable than I thought. She picked up quickly and I was glad I was going to have her as my assistant at the Corp.

"I thought you said you didn't know much about business stuff." I said around 11. We decided to call it a night since we had school the next day but we had done an incredible amount of work.

"I've been reading some books on business strategy, marketing, analytics and that sort of stuff." She shrugged. "I like to have at least some basic knowledge, but I'm a fast learner."

"So humble." I teased and she punched my arm. "Ow"

"My punches don't hurt you, and I'm merely stating a fact." She smirked.

"I'll give you that." We reached her room and I followed her inside. "How was your day?"

"It went great actually." She started and went on to tell me about Tomoyo's auntie Nadeshiko and how they had spent the afternoon talking.

"Sounds like you really like her." I said taking a seat at the edge of the bed. She went into the closet and closed the double doors behind her.

"I really do." She said, her voices muffled. "Can I confess something?" She walked out the closet in pink flannel pj bottoms and a white tank top.

"Sure." I leaned back on my palms and she took a seat next to me, assuming the same position I was in.

"If I ever meet my real mom, I want her to be like Nadeshiko; Or at least I kind of wish she was." She sighed deeply.

"She sounds amazing, I want to meet her someday." I smiled.

"Yeah, you'd like her." She smiled back.

"What did you need her opinion on anyways? You kinda skipped that part and went into your house and family and stuff." I asked curiously and her face turned cherry red.

"N-Nothing!" She said quickly.

"Doesn't seem like it." I teased and she fell back covering her face with her hands.

"Just girl stuff." She argued.

"Fine, fine, I'll drop it." He laughed and got up. "But you owe me coffee tomorrow morning."

"Whatever." She muttered "Remember to take out your suit for tomorrow, we have to change before going into the office."

"Yes mom." I rolled my eyes playfully. "Goodnight Cherry."

"Goodnight Wolfie." She called back sleepily and I shut the door behind me. She definitely had me wrapped around her finger.

A/N: Well there you go! Pretty informative chapter and in the next one some Duchesses will be making an unwanted appearance. I'll be trying to update faster I promise until then please review and comment. Love you guys! You rock my world, till next time. 3


	18. Chapter 18

A/N: Hey guys! Thank you so much for all your reviews :3 I love you all so much, you keep on rocking my world! Well I won't keep you any longer, Enjoy!

~RR~

~ **DarkAngel**

- _Sakura's POV-_

Syaoran and I chatted as we made way towards our lockers with our hot drinks in hand, before two blondes blocked our path. I donned my usual jeans and a grey hoodie; Syaoran as always looked like a bad boy god in a black leather jacket, dark jeans, black boots and a crisp white v-neck.

"Hi honey." Eliza said in a sugary voice but Syaoran just rolled his eyes and I sipped my tea calmly. Just like the first time we saw them, both her and Emma wore identical outfits, just different colored shirts. They fashioned white pants, black pumps and off the shoulder tops, Eliza in hot pink and Emma in purple.

"It's Li to you." He said shortly before putting his arm around my waist and steering me away with him.

"Whatever, just enjoy your little toy while you can." She called after us and he just shook his head.

"When are you girls going to get rid of them?" He asked in annoyance.

"To be honest Meiling is the one masterminding the whole thing, so I'm not really sure." I shrugged and as usual the whole gang was waiting for us by our lockers. "Morning guys."

A chorus of 'good mornings' greeted us back and I began to exchange books. Tomoyo as usual looked like a doll in jeans, over-the-knee tan boots, a loose violet blouse and a cream colored cardigan. Eriol next to her was clad in beige chinos and a beige turtleneck.

Meiling looked gorgeous in her red leather jacket, white shirt, black jeans and black combat boots. Ryuji wore a burgundy hoodie, jeans and timbs and Hiro had a similar look except his hoodie was sky blue. Naoko looked good in a blue plaid skirt, a black long sleeve, black tights and black over-the knee high heeled boots.

"Ugh, did anyone else see the blondies today at school? Because I saw them at the principal's office today." Rika asked making a face. She looked every inch beautiful in a white knitted sweater dress with brown tights and boots. Miki who had his arms around her was dressed in a brown jacket, white shirt, jeans and converse.

"They're transferring here." Takashi said with a sigh and Chiharu leaned into him. Chiharu wore a bright yellow oversized sweater with black leggings and tan ugg boots. Takashi was dressed in blue jeans, brown boots and a burnt orange shirt could be seen underneath his brown jacket.

"It doesn't matter, they'll be gone within a week." Meiling smiled evilly.

"What are you planning babe?" Ryuji asked pulling her close to him.

"Just leave it to me." She beamed happily and we laughed.

The rest of the day went by uneventfully, and before we knew it, it was 8th period. Syaoran, Eriol and I had already finished the cultural wall of the art classroom. We started working on our 'seasonal' wall and I put Eriol in charge of Winter, Syaoran in charge of Fall, and I was in charge of Spring, whoever finished first was to do summer.

Syaoran drove us home and I was surprised to find an outfit from Tomoyo for my first day of work in my closet. It was a black pencil skirt and matching blazer, a light pink silk blouse and black pumps. I changed my clothes and put my hair up in a bun, ready for my first day.

"Sakura! You look beautiful!" Yelan said as I stepped into the hallway to wait for Syaoran.

"Thank you Yelan." I smiled kindly.

"Are you nervous?" She asked and I shook my head no. "Good, the girls over there are true vultures, but I'm sure you'll do fine."

Syaoran stepped out of his room and my heart skipped at least 3 beats. He had changed into a black tailored suit with matching black shoes, a crisp white button down and a bright Emerald green tie. His hair was in his usual ponytail but he looked as good as always.

"You ready Sakura? We'll be lat-" He called looking down adjusting his cuffs, but as he looked up he paused and stared.

"Yeah, you?" I asked recovering from my mini heart attack and he nodded, his mouth still hanging open in mid sentence.

"Close your mouth son, flies will get in there." Yelan joked and Syaoran shook his head and cleared his throat. "Now since you guys get out of school at 2, you'll be at the office 3-6, it's only part-time afterall. That should give you enough time to get home, eat dinner and do your homework."

"Hai." Syaoran and I said in unison.

"Now, go. You'll be late if you don't hurry." She smiled and kissed our cheeks quickly before leaving.

"You ok?" I asked Syaoran as we buckled into his car.

"Yeah, I'm good." He said absently.

"Because you kind of froze back there." I remarked and he ran a hand through his hair.

"You, um, look, really pretty." He said in a quiet tone.

"Oh, um, thank you. You look really handsome as well." I mumbled, my face heating up as I said it.

"Thank you." He muttered and didn't talk again the whole ride but I didn't even care, I was still in cloud nine from his compliment.

We arrived at a huge skyscraper with the name Li Corporation engraved in bold, gold letters. A valet took Syaoran's car and we stepped inside the beautiful building. The inside was decorated modernly and a desk with two ladies was the first thing you saw as you walked in 4 elevators stood to the right and the security office was to the left, or at least that's what Syaoran had explained the other day.

"Good afternoon Mr. Li, we've been expecting you." A beautiful young lady said from behind the counter. Her hair was brown as her eyes and her name tag read 'Angie Futa'. "Please step this way, we'll need to take your picture to issue your security badge."

Syaoran followed the young lady as did I and she led us to the security office.

"Oh, I'm sorry Miss but I'm afraid this is a restricted area. If you're looking for employment the young lady at the front desk could help you." Angie smiled in a fake manner at me.

"Oh! How rude of me, I'm Sakura Kinomoto, Syaoran's personal assistant and secretary." I smiled brightly and I saw her face falter. Syaoran tried to hide a smirk but I noticed it anyways.

"My apologies then Miss Kinomoto, right this way." She said through basically gritted teeth and we followed her. After taking our pictures and issuing our security badges, we headed up to the top floor where our offices would be.

We reached the 50th floor and it was beautiful. The whole floor was made up of mostly windows so the view was breathtaking. A desk sat to my right in front of what seemed Syaoran's office and a large waiting area took up the space to the left. A few decorative plants were scattered throughout the floor but the decor was done in tones of white, brown and green.

"If you have any questions, please let me know." She smiled brightly at Syaoran.

"I will, thank you." I cut in and I could tell she didn't like me already by the way she looked at me before she left.

"That was intense." Syaoran chuckled as the elevator doors closed.

"No kidding, no wonder your mom wanted me to keep an eye on you." I laughed and leaned against my desk.

"So that's the reason why you were acting like that?" Syaoran said slyly stepping closer.

"Acting like what?" I asked crossing my arms. He stood in front of me with an arm on each side of me, successfully trapping me.

"Acting jealous." He leaned forward with a smirk on his face and I tried not to think about how close we were or how I could feel his body against mine.

"Y-you wish, I-I was just doing what your mom asked of me" I said turning my face away and cursed myself internally for stuttering.

"You know what I think, cherry?" He teased and his breath was on my cheek.

"What?" I breathed and turned my face to find myself inches away from his face. His amber eyes seemed to be lit ablaze, melting my heart and making the butterflies in my stomach to take flight. One inch, one stupid inch was separating us and I ached to close the distance.

RRRIIIINNNGGGG*

The sound jerked us apart and I cleared my throat before reaching for the phone on my desk.

"Li Corporation, Li Syaoran's office." I answered trying to sound professional. " Ok, I'll have Mr. Li look over the documents...good bye." I hung up and looked up to find Syaoran fixing his tie.

"I'll be in my office." He said and I nodded.

"There's some documents on your desk you need to go over." I called as he walked past me and he nodded stepping into his office and closing the door behind him. I sighed in relief as soon as he did and leaned back in my chair. Either I was going crazy or Syaoran had flirted with me.

- _Syaoran's POV-_

I closed the door behind me with a deep sigh. She had been so close, so close a hiccup would have us kissing. Her bright emerald green eyes seemed to be looking into my soul and I allowed myself to get lost in them. I'd made her nervous and stutter but I had to make her see me as a man or I would never leave the friendzone.

I sat on my chair and looked at the documents on my desk. I set to work and decided to try and push the recent events out of my mind for the moment, otherwise we'd be here until 8pm.

Three hours later Sakura knocked on my door and let herself in.

"Syaoran, it's time to go." She called from the door and I nodded closing the file I'd been reading.

"How was your first day?" I asked saving my work on a flash drive and shutting down the computer.

"Not bad, the girls don't seem to like me much except for this girl down in accounting named Penelope. Aside from that it wasn't too hard." She smiled and sat on one of the plush chairs across from me. "How about yours?"

"Not bad actually, I've been training for this for a while so it wasn't anything new. I was just expecting more interruptions though, businessmen love to smooch." I joked and she chuckled.

"That was actually my fault." She admitted looking guilty. "I screened your calls and if they were calling to say congrats or anything of the sort I took a message and number. Any of the girls had to see me before they could see you, so I handled whatever it was out there so they wouldn't interrupt you."

I looked at her in amazement and allowed myself a small smile. I knew she was good but this was just plain amazing. Even on her first day she was able to grasp things like these, it would be no time at all before she began to run the show.

"Thank you, I was able to put myself up to date because of it."

"I'm glad, even with all the interruptions I was able to put myself up to date as well." She said and I stood ready to leave. She followed behind me and we rode the elevator chatting about work. We stepped out of the elevator and saw a cluster of our coworkers at the reception desk chatting animatedly. As soon as they noticed us one of the girls approached me with a sugary smile.

"Mr. Li, my name is Yoko Chang, I'm head of Marketing." She smiled extending her hand for a handshake. She had ebony hair that reached her shoulders and deep dark eyes.

"Nice to meet you, this is Sakura Kinomoto my personal assistant." I said shaking her hand and introducing Sakura, hopefully she'd get the message.

"Well the girls and a couple of the guys were wondering if you'd like to join us for a drink, it is your first day after all." She offered sweetly and I guessed she hadn't gotten the hint at all.

"Thank you for the offer but my girlfriend and I must get home, right babe?" I asked Sakura pulling her close by the waist.

"Oh, yes syao, your mom is expecting us for dinner." Sakura smiled sweetly and I could see the girl's face tightening.

"Oh well, maybe next time." She smiled fakely.

"Yeah, maybe, Goodnight." I called and steered us towards the door.

"Thanks for your hard work." I called as I left and the valet brought my car around promptly.

"That was intense." Sakura said in an amused tone as I drove home.

"They'll get the hint eventually." I sighed and she chuckled.

"Must be hard to be the famous Xiaolang Li." She said bemusedly.

"Ha-ha." I said sarcastically and she laughed.

- _Sakura's POV_ -

It was Friday and the week had basically flew by. Work had actually been easier once I got a grip of everything and surprisingly I liked it. We were all sitting at lunch as per usual when two angry blondes approached us.

"How could you!" The both cried in unison.

We all looked at Emma and Eliza, surprised to see them both crying. Syaoran next to me sighed in annoyance and Eriol rolled his eyes across from him.

"What now?" He asked exasperatedly.

"We have to go back home." Emma cried.

"Finally!" Meiling smiled widely.

"It was you!" Eliza cried dramatically pointing at Meiling. "You called our fathers and told them lies!"

"What is she talking about?" I asked Meiling.

"I may or may not have made a call to England saying their precious Duchesses were clubbing and drinking and doing god knows what else." She smiled devilishly.

"Can you believe her Syaoran?" Eliza whined but he gave her a cold glare.

"Finally." He said simply and went back to the book he was reading.

Her eyes watered and she ran out of the cafeteria.

"This will not be the last time you hear from us." Emma huffed and left the cafeteria as well.

"Yes!" Tomoyo cried and hugged a laughing Meiling. "Thank you Mei."

"Oh please girl, you know I'm rooting for you and Saku to become my sisters in law." Meiling winked at me and I turned beet red.

"Mei!" I cried embarrassed.

"Oh, right, I'm sorry, I forgot. It's just you guys look so good together, it's ordinary at this point." She smiled slyly.

"Stop teasing Mei." Syaoran said without looking up from his book.

"Fine, fine, but I'm still rooting." She joked and the gang laughed, making me turn cherry red while Syaoran just turned a page and continued to read.

The rest of the day flew by and before we knew it we were at work. Tomoyo had left me a couple of business outfits in my closet so I currently fashioned a beige pencil skirt with a matching blazer, an emerald green, halter-styled, silk blouse and black suede wedges. I looked at the clock and it read 5:00, one more hour and we were home free.

"Sakura, can you come into my office?" Syaoran called through the intercom and I stood without answering.

"What's up?" I asked and took a seat across from him. When it was just us I addressed him casually but we had to be extra careful around everyone else since the rumor that I was his girlfriend had spread already.

"I need you to look over this report and tell me if you spot any mistakes." He said and flipped the screen to me.

Even as I looked over the report I couldn't help but get a little side glance at him. He looked so stupidly handsome in his brown suit, pastel pink shirt and white tie.

"The second to last line doesn't add up but everything else is good." I said after looking at everything throughly.

"I thought so too, thank you." He gave a small smile and I almost melted at the spot.

"Nothing to thank me for." I smiled back.

"No, you don't understand, it's so hard to find someone you can trust in these types of things." He explained and I nodded.

"I mean I'm not the big, almighty, rich, CEO Syaoran Li." I joked. "But it's hard to find someone you can trust period."

"The burden." He said dramatically and I laughed.

"One more hour and we're free." I said as I stood to go back to my desk.

"Hey Cherry." He called as I turned the door handle.

"'Sup?" I asked turning my head.

"You want to go out for dinner tonight? You know to celebrate our first week of work?" He asked and I thought I heard a hint of shyness.

"Sure, it's on you though, my boss is very stingy and doesn't pay me well." I joked and he chuckled. If he only knew that, that joke was only my coping mechanism for my nerves.

"Good one." He said and I left for my desk. I hurriedly went back to work praying that the hour went by quickly.

I went down to the lobby to wait for Syaoran to finish up a last minute call. He told me it would only a couple minutes so I could go ahead. I smiled at the valet and already knowing me, he left to get Syaoran's car.

"Kinomoto-San, right?" A masculine voice called from behind me.

"Yes, that's me." I smiled politely turning around.

"Oh sorry, I'm Daichi Fumiya, I work in the marketing department. I've seen you around a couple times and I thought I'd introduce myself." He smiled and extended his hand.

"I'm Sakura Kinomoto, Syaoran Li's secretary and assistant." I said and shook his hand.

"I know, you're kind of infamous around here." He chuckled.

"Really? How so?" I asked curiously.

"You're like a super secretary despite being here part time, everyone is on top of their game because of it" he smiled and I blushed lightly.

"I just try my best." I said and wondered how long until Syaoran was done.

"I trust that you do, that's why I gathered up my courage to try and ask you, if you wanted to go out for a drink tonight?" He asked leaning in and I stepped back.

"I'm sorry, I'm afraid she's got plans tonight." A deep voice rumbled from behind Fumiya and I immediately smiled at the recognition.

"Syaoran!" I beamed and he came around pulling me close by the waist. "I'm sorry Fumiya-san, I thought you knew I had a boyfriend."

"Of course, Nice to see you Mr. Li." He smiled tightly.

"You as well Fumiya, please send my regards to your father, but you must excuse us, we have reservations to get to." Syaoran said politely.

"Have a good night Fumiya-San." I smiled politely once more.

"Have a good night, Kinomoto-san, Mr.Li." He bowed slightly and left.

"Sorry I took so long." Syaoran sighed leading me towards the awaiting car.

"It's fine, you came in at the right time though." He opened the door for me and I climbed in.

"So it seems." He grumbled as he started the engine and we left.

"Why are so grumpy?" I asked noticing the change in his mood.

"It's- It's nothing, just tired, but I wasn't lying about the reservations." He smirked.

"Where are we going?" I asked excitedly.

"It's a surprise." He gave me a tiny smile and I smiled back in anticipation.

 _*Kinomoto Residence_ *

 _-No One's POV-_

Fujitaka was cooking dinner in the kitchen while Nadeshiko set the table for their dinner. Both of them chatting about their day and nothing in particular.

"Oh yes Honey, I forgot to tell you, but I'm having one of my coworkers at the university conduct the paternity test." Fujitaka said as he stirred the pot in front of him.

"Really? How long until the results then? I was so nervous about getting that hair strand." She smiled.

"In about a month we'll know, since he's doing it at the university lab." He smiled back "How did you manage to get a strand of her hair anyways?"

"Oh there was a stray hair on her hoodie and I picked it out for her, but instead of throwing it away I tucked it in my pocket." She explained "I was praying to all the gods I wouldn't lose it but thankfully her hair is amazingly long."

"I can't wait to meet her." Fujitaka smiled as her served their plates.

"Let's hope that will be soon." Nadeshiko smiled helping her husband with the food.

"It will be." He smiled. "Now let's eat."

"Itadakimasu" they said in unison and began to eat their dinner peacefully.

- _Tomoyo's POV-_

As I sat on my desk, sighed exasperatedly wishing one of the girls was free. Eriol had a meeting with his family and it was date night for all the girls; I'd even texted Sakura but she said Syaoran was taking her out to dinner to celebrate their first week at work. I looked at the sketches in my hand and struggled to make a decision on which ones to put in my portfolio.

"Need some help?" A feminine voice said from behind me and I smiled.

"Mom!" I cried happily "I thought you were in New York."

"My meeting went smoothly, so I decided to catch the first flight here." She smiled brightly and I hugged her. "I was thinking we could have some mother-daughter fun."

"I'd love that!" I said excitedly. Anytime I could spend with her was precious to me. We changed into our PJs, ordered take out and watched a bunch of romantic comedies, all while catching up and talking about everything.

"Hey honey." My mom said randomly as we watched our fourth movie , both of us sipping hot chocolate.

"Yes mom?" I asked.

"I'm sorry." She smiled sadly.

"For what?"

"I know I haven't exactly been around, but I promise I'll try and do better from now on." She smiled.

"Thank you mom." I smiled and hugged her.

"By the way, your auntie Nadeshiko says Hi."

"Oh, you guys must talk regularly now, right?"

"Almost every day!" She said excitedly but her expression went serious afterwards. "Ne, Tomoyo, doesn't Sakura look like your auntie?"

"Oh my gosh I thought I was imagining things! But I thought so too. Their eyes are identical and even their personalities are similar." I said excitedly. I hadn't said anything to Sakura but my auntie Nadeshiko and her almost seemed like mother and daughter.

"Tomoyo, what if Sakura is your auntie's lost daughter?" My mom gasped. "I mean it matches! Sakura is adopted, she has the same age as Nadeshiko's daughter and how many people do you see with that eye color?"

Realization dawned on me and I sat there in shock.

"Mom, you may be right! What's auntie's married name?" I asked nervously.

"Kinomoto, why?"

"That's Sakura's last name!" I cried "She told me that when she was found, the only thing she had on her was her hospital bracelet. It had her full name and birthday, but nothing else."

"She may not have been registered yet then, if she's Nadeshiko's daughter that makes sense." She explained but I looked at her in confusion.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"You see when the baby is born you can name it right after and that's the name they'll put on the bracelet, otherwise they'll give it your last name and that's it. But even if you name it right then and there you have to fill out a form and the birth certificate to make it official."

"But because auntie Nadeshiko was kidnapped, they never got to fill it out. So even when Sakura was found-"

"-She wasn't registered as Nadeshiko and Fujitaka's daughter!" My mom finished for me and we sat there in surprise.

"So there's a big chance Sakura may be my cousin?" I asked my mom in awe and she nodded.

"We just need a way to make sure." My mom said deep in thought.

"How are we going to do that?" I asked deep in thought as well.

"We'll think of something." She said determinedly and I smiled.

A/N: Well that's it for now! Please let me know what you guys think or any questions. I love you all and thank you for following this far :3


	19. Chapter 19

_A/N_ : Hey guys! First of all I just really want to thank all of you for reading this far and for your wonderful reviews, they make my whole day, night and morning. Secondly, someone asked how long will this story be and I really think it might be around the mid to late twenties maybe thirty but it all depends on how I develop the next few chapters. Thirdly, I just wanted to point out this chapter is ALL Sakura and Syaoran fluff. All of It. Except on tiny little paragraph at the end. Either way enough from me, enjoy! :3

 **~R &R~**

 **~DarkAngel~**

* * *

 _-Sakura's POV-_

We pulled up to the restaurant and I looked up in awe. It was one of the most popular fine-dining restaurants in Tokyo, "Clow's Nightfall". A valet came and took Syaoran's car, and Syaoran led us inside.

" ! What a pleasure!" The plump older lady greeted us at the host stand. "The usual table?"

"Nice to see you as well Nai, I told you to address me informally." Syaoran said with a small smile.

"Oh nonsense! And who's this beautiful young lady? It's good to see you finally accompanied." She smiled deviously.

"This is my girlfriend, Sakura Kinomoto." He introduced me.

"Nice to meet you." I smiled and the older lady shrieked in delight.

"Oh what a beauty you are! Syaoran, don't be a fool and take care of this rare flower." She smiled at me and I smiled back amusedly.

"I will Nai, Sakura this young lady here is Liling, she's the owner of this restaurant." Syaoran smirked as Liling swatted his arm playfully.

"Young lady!" She laughed. "Wait until I tell Chen about it later. Anyway, let me not keep you two any longer."

"The usual table would be great." Syaoran smirked and the older woman nodded and led us to the second floor.

The first floor itself was magnificent, red velvet chairs, black table cloths, and gold plates and silverware decorated the tables. Navy blue wallpaper with gold moons, stars and suns adorned the tall walls and the floor shined with gold/cream marble tiles. The low lighting gave the restaurant a mysterious yet comforting feel.

We walked up the set stairs and I almost gasped at the sight. The second floor was set up just like the first floor but there was no ceiling, instead there were stars and constellations. The ceiling imitated a planetarium so even a full moon could be seen shining.

Liling sat us at a two top table far from everyone else for some privacy.

"Here you go, I'll come by later to catch up." She said with a wink and left us.

"Well, What do you think?" Syaoran asked expectantly.

"It's beautiful! I'm at a loss of words." I smiled excitedly.

"I'm glad you think so, I wasn't sure if you'd like it." He sighed in relief.

"Why wouldn't I? It's amazing." I said as I looked up at the stars in awe.

"I don't know, this has been one of my favorite restaurants since I moved here from China." I looked at him with interest and he ran a hand through his hair as if embarrassed. "You're actually the first person I've brought here, not even Eriol knows about it."

My heart swelled with warmth and the now permanent butterflies took flight within my stomach. I smiled in delight and he returned it with a small smile of his own.

 _-Syaoran's POV-_

Sakura smiled and I swear, I had never seen a more beautiful sight. I found myself smiling back at her and decided not to care, after all there wasn't a side of me that Sakura had yet to discover.

Even after I realized I had feelings for her, there was internal conflict with myself; after all it seemed like after all the dirty work I'd done for the Corp, she was too pure for me to spoil. It was a constant debate between my heart and my mind, my mind telling me I should never be happy, while my heart begged for me to hold her, kiss her, and call her mine for real.

But looking at her now, how she stared in awe at the stars, how she smiled so brightly despite the terrible hand life had dealt her, I decided there was nothing I wanted more for myself than to make her happy. I wanted to keep that smile in her face forever if I could, I didn't want anyone else snatching her away, I needed to tell her the truth about my feelings.

"Saku-" I started but the waiter interrupted us.

"Mr. Li, what a pleasure to see you again. Who's this young lady?" The young man whom I knew as Tony, greeted me warmly. Despite it being my favorite restaurant, I wasn't lying to Sakura when I'd said I'd never brought anyone here.

"Tony, good to see you too. This is my girlfriend Sakura Kinomoto, Sakura this is Tony, his parents run this place." I introduced and didn't miss the blush on Sakura's face when I called her my girlfriend.

"Nice to meet you Tony-san." Sakura smiled.

"You as well Sakura-sama. Watch out , you have quite the gem here." He winked at me and I chuckled. "The usual?" He asked and I nodded.

"I'll just have the same." Sakura smiled and Tony nodded and left us.

"So Tony is Liling's son?" She asked and I nodded.

"Chen, who will probably stop by in a little while, is Liling's husband and Tony's father. All three of them run the restaurant together." I explained and she nodded in understanding.

"Well they're doing a wonderful job, I've actually read about this place in a couple of Tomoyo's fashion magazines, it's really popular." Sakura commented still looking around.

"Well, thank you young lady, we appreciate your compliments." An elder male voice cut in and I turned to see Chen behind me.

"Chen! How have you been old man?" I stood and we clapped backs in a friendly manner.

"Syaoran, my boy, you've gotten so tall! You look like grown man." He said in a joking manner and Sakura chuckled. "And I've heard this little angel here is actually your girlfriend?" He joked once again and we laughed.

"Sakura, this is Chen Clow the owner, Chen, my girlfriend Sakura Kinomoto." I introduced them.

"It's a pleasure Sakura-Sama." He smiled kindly. "Well these two drinks are on me, I'll leave you two." He winked and left.

"Oh they're so pretty." Sakura said as she she examined the shimmery drink in front of her.

"Be careful, they don't look it but they will knock you out, if you drink them too fast." I warned already having experienced it. The drinks themselves were a beautiful navy blue with pearl dust that made them look like galaxies, a recurring theme at the restaurant. Chen was a skilled bartender so while they looked beautiful, they were also deadly, consisting of at least 85% of alcohol.

"So Sakura-" I started again but Toni came around with our food.

"Here we go, two Nightfall specials." Tony announced as he placed our plates in front of us. Lobster, steak, a baked potato and steamed broccoli filled our plates.

"This looks delicious, thank you." Sakura smiled.

"Enjoy." Tony smiled and left once more.

We ate and chatted idly and once we were done, Liling brought out some moon cakes for dessert. It wasn't until I paid that we were left alone. We said our goodbyes and they made us promise to come back again soon.

"Thank you for everything wolfie, it's been amazing night." Sakura smiled as we waited for the valet.

"It's nothing, I'm just glad you had a good time." I said. 'Ok, Syaoran, it's now or never.' I thought to myself. "Hey Sakura, I've been meaning to tell you all night that-" I stopped short as a flash went off in the distance.

"Syao? You ok?" Sakura asked looking around.

"We gotta go, paparazzi's here." I said hurriedly.

Thankfully, my car was brought up then and I opened the door for Sakura, but I wasn't quick enough. Soon we were swarmed with flashing lights and a billion questions.

Sakura got in and I closed the door behind her and moved to the drivers side, not saying a word.

Questions buzzed by:

"Mr. Li is it true you're taking over Li Corp here in Japan?"

"Is it true you're engaged to a British dutchess?"

"Mr. Li! Mr Li! There's rumors your current girlfriend is not approved by your family because of her background?"

"Mr. Li! How does it feel to date someone of less stature?"

"Mr. Li is it true you girlfriend is actually from a low class family?"

I got in the car and peeled off without looking back. I was quietly simmering at the insults they'd said about Sakura and the stupid things they were making assumptions of. I glanced over at her and saw a sad expression on her face.

"Are you alright Sakura?" I asked in a concerned tone.

"What? No, yeah, I'm fine." She smiled weakly and turned to look out the window.

"Don't listen to the paparazzi, they're only after a good story." I tried to comfort her but she said nothing and kept looking out the window.

 _-Sakura's POV-_

I sat in Syaoran's car watching the scenery blur past, not saying a word. I hated to admit it but those reporters had been right, Syaoran didn't belong with someone as low as me. I mean, I wasn't rich, I was adopted, drove a beat up jeep, my looks weren't outstanding, and liked to dress in baggy hoodies. He deserved someone prettier,more feminine, with high stature and class. He told me to not listen to them, but it's hard to deny the fact the rest of his family would probably never accept me.

As we pulled up to the house, I kicked off my heels, and I dashed out of the car, running all the way to my room. I could hear Syaoran call my name but I locked the door behind me and threw my heels onto one of the couches. I sat on my bed breathing heavily, wanting to run away, to forget Syaoran, wishing I hadn't fallen in love with him. It hurt to know I wasn't good enough, but what really hurt the most was the fact I really thought I had a chance with him.

I changed out of my clothes into some jeans and a baby pink hoodie. I tied up my converse and after grabbing my bag and keys, decided to have a little escapade. I needed to get away, to think, to cry. I ran to my beat up jeep and without a second thought, I drove away. Away from it all. Away from Syaoran, the paparazzi, my friends, my adoptive family, work, school, everything. I drove to the beach.

The hour-long trip was silent, with me marinating in my self-hate and the faint sound of the radio in the background. Once I got there, I grabbed a blanket from my trunk and sat along the shoreline. It was cold and completely empty but it was like therapy to me. Just listening to the waves crashing against the sand, watching the dark waves turn into foam as the hit the shore. I didn't know how long I was there for, but it soothed my mind.

"So, this is another one of your hideouts? I have to admit is a good one too." I heard a deep voice say behind me and turned in surprise to find Syaoran smirking down at me. He was in a sweats, a hoodie and nike runners.

"How in the world-"

"I bought you your phone, remember? Your location is on." He said and took a seat next to me.

"Oh" I said quietly and turned back to the ocean.

"Listen Sakura, those reporters don't know what they're saying-"

"Syaoran" I interrupted him and he turned his face. "It's ok, afterall it's all fake anyways, I don't even know why I got upset." I was lying through my teeth at this point, but I had to. Syaoran could never know my feelings for him, they'd just be a burden to him anyways-

"I like you" He blurted out watching the ocean, effectively stopping the ramble in my head.

"What?" I asked in shock, turning my face towards him..

"My feelings for you are more than best friends, Sakura." He said looking at me in the eyes. His eyes were lit ablaze, they look like two melting pools of gold against the dark night.

"What?" I asked again, dumbfounded. My heart was hammering against my chest, threatening to burst out of my chest. The butterflies wouldn't stop fluttering about, and I could barely get a cohesive word out of my mouth.

"I'm sorry, I know you just see me as a friend but I needed to tell you, otherwise-"

"Me too." I interrupted, finally making some sense into my brain.

"What?" He almost whispered.

"I-I like you too, Syaoran." I stuttered and his eyes widened. It all happened in slow-motion then, he leaned closer and my eyes fluttered shut. His warm lips pressed against mine and a series of fireworks proceeded to go off in my chest. It was soft and gentle yet firm and sensual. Warmth spread through my body and I could feel my cheeks turn red. We pulled apart and I smiled while he pulled one of his smirks.

"You don't know how long I've wanted to do that." He admitted and chuckled.

"Me too." I laughed, more out of nervousness than anything.

"Can I admit something to you?" He asked looking back at the ocean and placing his hands inside his hoodie pocket.

"Sure"

"I've kissed too many girls to count, but that was the first time there were actual feelings behind it." He laughed dryly at his cruel joke.

"Um, I wish I could say the same, but that was my first kiss." I admitted shyly. Yes, I was 17 and had never kissed anyone but it was only because I didn't want it to be with just anyone.

"Really?" He smirked once again.

"Yes." I rolled my eyes and brought my knees to my chest, burrowing my head in the blanket.

"Awww, wittle Sakuwa is embawassed." He teased.

"Stopppppp" I moaned, not raising my head.

"Ok, ok, but you have to look at me."

"No." I protested.

"Sakura." He said sternly and I lifted my head reluctantly.

"What?" I grumbled.

"I'm happy I got to be your first kiss." He gave me a small smile and I found myself smiling back.

I shook my head and propped my head on my knees.

"Hopefully, I get to be your last too." he whispered before taking my lips again. He smelled like autumn but his lips tasted like dark chocolate. The kiss lingered on for a little longer before we broke apart.

"Does this mean you'll be my girlfriend? For real this time?" he asked expectantly.

"Are you sure you want me Syao? Those reporters were right-"

"Those reporters can go to hell. The rest of my family will love you and I already told you I'd fight the elders for our fake relationship, now that it's real, I have more a reason to. I don't care about your past or your status or any of those silly things. I care about you and nothing else." He smiled at me and my breath caught at my throat. It was a real, genuine smile with teeth and everything. It made him look boyish and god-like all in one. My heart burst with happiness and I wondered, if it was ok for me to be this happy.

"Really?" I squeaked.

"Yes, really, Cherry, so will you please be my girlfriend?" he pleaded and I smiled widely.

"Yes!" I yelped and hugged with, making us fall on the sand.

We kissed again and sat upright once again. I extended some of my blanket and we cuddled underneath it. We watched the waves and the clear sky for a while, neither of us saying anything, completely in bliss.

"Wait until the guys find out, we're in for it." He chuckled.

"Oh yeah, specially the girls. They already knew of my feelings for you, so you can imagine." I chuckled as well.

"The guys knew about my feelings for you too."

"So when did you realize your feelings for me?" I asked cheekily and he laughed. We spent the rest of the night talking and exchanging stories. He told me how he'd found out his feelings for me during the Halloween ball and I told him about when realized mine. We talked about everything else then, family, school, our friends, and somewhere along the line we ended up falling asleep.

* * *

"Sakura…" I heard Syaoran's voice pull me from a comfortable sleep.

I groaned and snuggled deeper onto his chest.

"Come on Princess, you'll miss the sunrise." he whispered into my ear and I fluttered my eyes open.

"Morning." I yawned.

"Morning." He smiled and everything rushed back to me then.

It hadn't been a dream, Syaoran had really asked me to be his girlfriend and we had stayed up all night talking.

"Look over there." He pointed in the direction of ocean and I could see the red sun poking over the horizon. We watched the sunrise in a comfortable silence, both of us snuggled up against the morning chill.

"Beautiful." I whispered.

"I agree." Syaoran said kissing my cheek.

"I meant the sunrise." I protested.

"And I meant you." he smirked and I could feel my face heating up. "Come on, let's go get some breakfast."

I nodded and he helped me up.

"We can take my car, someone will come pick up yours. I'm kidnapping you for the day." He smirked.

I stared at him with my mouth hanging open in shock.

"What? I can be selfish." He shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not ready to share you just yet."

I smiled and shook my head getting into the passenger seat.

"What? It's my first day having you as my girlfriend for real, I want to enjoy it, what do you think?" He asked holding out his hand.

"I think it's perfect." I said and entwined my fingers with his.

We left the beach, both of us smiling and without a worry.

* * *

 _ ***Kinomoto Residence***_

 _-No one's POV-_

Nadeshiko was fixing some flowers on the kitchen table when her cellphone rang.

"Hey Sonomi, how are you?" She answered as she saw her sister's picture pop up on her screen.

"Hey Nadeshiko, I'm doing good, would you be able to meet me at the cafe near penguin park?" Her sister asked over the phone.

"Yeah I'm not doing anything, why the rush though?"

"It's about your daughter Nade, there's a chance Tomoyo and I found her." She heard Sonomi say and she immediately knew she was speaking of Sakura.

"I'll meet you there in 15." Nadeshiko said and after saying their goodbyes, she went to grab a jacket and her keys. She had to tell Sonomi her suspicions, maybe she'd be able to help her discover the truth.

* * *

A/N: There you go! I know it was a little on the short side but like I said it was Sakura and Syaoran fluff. Anyways, please remember to review with your thoughts/comments/ questions and I'll see you guys next time :3


	20. Chapter 20

**_A/N:_** Hey guys! Well after some Syao/Saku fluff ,we have a little more. I wanted to keep this chapter light and easy. Someone asked if the last name shouldn't be Amamiya for Nadeshiko/Sonomi and I actually knew this but just preferred to use Daidoji as the family last name. Anyways, let me not keep you any longer, Enjoy! :3

 **~R &R~**

 **~DarkAngel~**

 _-Tomoyo's POV-_

My mom, clad in one of her usual business suits, and I waited for my auntie Nadeshiko to show up. My mom and I decided it was best to tell my auntie about our suspicions, and see what her opinion was on all of it. My mother and I could only cross our fingers at the thought, after all that would mean Sakura would be my cousin and she would finally have a family, like she deserves.

"Sorry for running late, Sonomi-chan, Tomoyo-chan." My auntie Nadeshiko smiled and she couldn't have reminded me of Sakura any more.

"Hi auntie, don't worry about it." I smiled.

"It's ok Nade, how are you?" My mom greeted her.

"I'm well, what about you guys? What did you find out about my daughter?" She asked intently.

"Well…" My mom started and went on to explain our theory. My auntie gasped as she found out Sakura's last name was Kinomoto, but otherwise remained quiet and let my mom go on and explain. After my mom explained everything, Nadeshiko sat deep in thought while my mom and I exchanged worried looks.

"So, Auntie, what do you think?" I asked after a couple minutes of silence.

"To be completely honest," She started and looked up at us both, "I already had my suspicions."

"What?!" my mom and I practically yelled.

"Back when the scandal involving her and Li-kun broke out, I saw her on T.V and immediately recognized her. Touya actually saw her prior to that at his job and thought the same thing, but he has no clue I'm familiar with her now. Anyways, that night we met together and I saw her in person, her eyes is what really gave her away. We already have a DNA test working, the results should be here mid-December." She admitted, while we looked at her with shocked expressions.

"Oh! I really hope it's her! She's such a doll." My mom was the first to recover.

"Thank you!" My auntie Nadeshiko smiled. "To be honest, I spent the afternoon with her on Sunday and I'm in love with her, just want to bring her home and make-up all those years we missed. I just ask for you two to please keep this a secret, until we know for sure."

"Of course." I smiled. "But if it is positive, how are you going to tell her?"

"Well, Fujitaka and I were thinking we could invite you guys, along with her, for dinner at our house. After she learns a little bit about Fujitaka and Touya, then show her the proof and let her know the truth." She explained gently. "What do you think Tomoyo-chan? As her best friend, do you think this is the most sensitive way to approach her?"

"I think so, but I wouldn't wait too long after you find out, or else she'll be mad you hid t from her." I reasoned and she nodded. Sakura was lucky to have a mother who understood her this well with only knowing her from a couple of meetings.

"Sounds great! We'll help anyway we can." My mom offered and I nodded in agreement.

* * *

 _ ***Somewhere in Tokyo Bay***_

 _-Syaoran's POV-_

"Syao! That was my last strawberry!" Sakura pouted cutely as I smirked at her. After leaving the beach, we decided to get some breakfast at a diner we found along the road.

"You look cute when you pout." I smirked and watched as her cheeks turned a cute shade of pink.

"Whatever!" She huffed and stole a piece of my bacon.

I was still in pure bliss from my confession to her. She was officially mine, and I wasn't going to let anyone or anything come in between us. She filled me with light and warmth, as well as comfort. She had been my best friend before anything, so that alone made our bond tighter than anything. But I had to admit, watching her blush was adorable.

"You still not used to my compliments?" I raised an eyebrow, trying to hold back a chuckle.

"No, and don't tease me, It's just-" She sighed mid sentence "Never mind."

"Just what?" I took a bite of my omelette and watched her play with the fruit in front of her.

"Nothing" She mumbled, not looking up.

"Sakura" I said with a slightly serious tone.

"Fine, but don't laugh." she sighed

"Promise." I crossed my heart and she chuckled.

"I've never had a boyfriend before." She admitted and immediately looked away shyly, her long hair creating a shield. I placed down the silverware and looked at her seriously. I softly took her chin and made her look at me.

"I'm honored." I smiled softly and she smiled back shyly. We ate the rest of our breakfast making jokes and talking non-sense, like we usually did. It was a pleasant time, and I was glad I had her for myself for the whole day, away from everyone else. It was amazing how different she looked with her hair loose, it was a little past her butt, and it glistened in the morning sun.

"Why do you always wear your hair up?" I asked her as we rode to the little town nearby. "I, personally, like it down."

She blushed on cue and smiled. "Why is yours always in a ponytail?"

"Old tradition from the Li clan." I smiled easily.

"My younger sister was jealous of my hair, so I was forced to wear it up. No matter how many times my mother and sister tried to cut it, it always grew back within a couple months. Now, it's just easier to put it up." She explained and I smiled.

"Well, I really like it." I took a strand of her hair, and twirled it softly around my index finger, before letting go of it and taking a hold of her hand with my free one.

"I actually like yours too, not a lot of guys grown out their hair anymore." She joked and I chuckled.

"You're right, but like I said old Li tradition, and being as I am the next leader, I have to obey." I winked at her and she laughed.

"So what are we going to do?" She asked as I parked on the street and we got out the car.

"Explore?" I shrugged and she shrugged as well.

"Explore." She smiled and I took a hold of her hand once again.

The cute, little, beach town was very picturesque. Despite the fall weather and chill in the air, the streets were bustling with activity. Colorful Local shops and markets were already open, but despite the early morning buzz, there was a sort of serenity around the town. The ocean was to our right, the pier giving us a beautiful view. Sakura and I went around a couple stores and decided to buy a change of clothes, after all, we had slept on the sand. We stopped at a men's store first and I bought a pair of jeans, a black sweater and some black converse. I wore the clothes out and currently carried my old clothes in a shopping bag.

There was a women's store next door and we tried our luck for Sakura there. After claiming she couldn't find anything in that store or the 3 stores that followed, she decided to have one of the clerk's pick out some clothes for her. Sakura stepped out of the fitting room and my mouth went dry. She was dressed in black tights, a forest green skater skirt, a black long-sleeve and black thigh-high high heeled suede boots.

"What do you think? I think it's too much, I can't pull this off." She asked me and the clerk came around.

"Oh,you look gorgeous, and i'm not even trying to sell you anything!" The clerk beamed. "What do you think, sir?"

"She's wearing it out." I said simply and whipped out my credit card.

Sakura stared at me in shock and I smirked.

"Of course sir." she beamed at my black card and took Sakura's old clothes to the front to put in a bag.

"Syaoran! I just said I don't think I could pull this off!" She said angrily and swatted my arm.

"You may not think so, but you look beautiful. The clothes don't do you justice." I smirked at my boldness and stole a kiss before she could even register it.

"I'll still whoop your butt in a skirt" she glared and I chuckled. We walked to the counter for a receipt and our things.

"You're lucky to have such a good boyfriend, miss." The clerk smiled at Sakura and I smirked cockily.

"Oh he's just showing off" Sakura smiled deviously and the clerk laughed. We spent the rest of the looking around and doing a little shopping. Sakura ,embarrassed, admitted she hardly ever went shopping and the reason she was so indecisive was because she always wore the same thing: Hoodies and jeans. Everything else Tomoyo had either bought or made for her. She bought some matching cell-phone straps for her and the girls and I bought some local chocolate for my mother. We also found a cute bookshop where I lost her for almost an hour, before she bought 5 new books.

After stopping at a cafe for some late lunch, we walked around in town for some time and then headed to the beach. We walked side by side, with our hands intertwined, and watched as the sun dipped under the horizon. As we neared the end of the pier, we found there was a carnival set up, as well as a couple rides and a Ferris wheel.

"OMG! Can we go please?" Sakura pleaded hanging on my arm. "I've never been to one."

"Never?" I asked in bewilderment.

"Never, I wasn't allowed." She said sadly.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go." I smiled and she cheered in excitement.

The smell of cotton candy and popcorn filled my senses as we entered. Food and game booths alike were scattered about and children ran around happily. Couples just like us strolled side by side and I turned to see Sakura in pure awe.

"What do you want to do?" I asked and she pointed at a shooting game, naturally. Sakura and I let our competitive side show, and played at every single game booth there was. By the end, I had won a giant stuffed lion for her and had she won a matching giant panther.

"What are going to name them?" I asked her as we walked to the ferris wheel, each of us with a stuffed animal in hand.

"The lion is Kero-chan, and the panther is Suppi-chan." She smiled happily.

"What kind of cutesy names are those?" I jabbed at her.

"They're short for Keroberus and Spinelsun." She stuck out her tongue at me and I chuckled.

"Two?" The attender asked and we nodded, before stepping onto the pod. We sat across from each other, stuffed animals at our side. The ride took off and Sakura stood and watched in awe the twinkling lights, the ocean, and the sky. I smiled to myself as I watched her, she looked so full of light, it made me feel lucky to have her. A full moon hung in the sky and the pale light made Sakura look angelic, otherworldly almost. I stood and hugged her from behind, feeling her stiffen in surprise and then relax simultaneously. I wrapped my arms around her waist and rested my head on her shoulder.

"I don't want this day to end." She whispered and turned to face me, still within my hold.

"Why's that?" I whispered back.

"I'm afraid I'll wake up tomorrow, and find out it's all a dream." She confessed.

"That should be my line." I smirked and kissed her. I didn't know what it was about her, but I never got tired of kissing her. Her lips tasted of strawberries and honey, no matter how many times i'd already kissed her, I always wanted more of them. Right then, underneath the moonlight and a million stars, as we hit the highest point, I knew I loved her and didn't want to ever give her up.

We reluctantly left after the Ferris wheel and drove home listening to the radio, Sakura quietly humming along.

"I just want to shower and go to bed, but I have to finish my math homework." Sakura yawned and I copied her.

"I can pass it to you if you want, I already did it." I offered and took the bags and Suppi from the backseat.

"You're a lifesaver." She said dramatically with Kero in hand. We walked in and almost dropped everything at the sight that awaited us.

"It's about time you get home." Tomoyo said, making Sakura and I wince in unison. The whole gang was there, standing in a semi-circle.

"Um, hi, whats up guys?" Sakura laughed nervously.

"I don't know, what's up with the both of you? You went missing today." Meiling accused with narrowed eyes and I gulped.

"We're dating." Sakura blurted out.

"Babe!" I complained.

"What? I couldn't take it anymore." She shrugged.

"I know, but I wanted to keep you to myself for a little more." I rolled my eyes playfully.

"Listen, you know I suck at keeping things from the girls." She pouted.

"I know, I know." I chuckled and planted a kiss at the top of her head, when suddenly-

"OHMYGOSH!" The girls squealed, as the guys winced at the high pitch. They ran to Sakura and hugged her, while congratulating her.

"About time, man." Eriol said as he clapped my back. The rest of the guys congratulated me as well and I saw the girls had let go of Sakura.

"I know! We really couldn't wait 'til it happened." Chiharu said happily.

"Did everyone really know?" Sakura sweatdropped.

"I mean, the guys knew about Syaoran, and the girls knew about Sakura, it wasn't hard to put two and two together." Naoko smiled.

"But you have to tell us everything!" Tomoyo squeaked and Sakura nodded tiredly.

"Alright, but let me put Kero down in my room." She smiled. "You guys can come too, It'll be a sleepover."

"Sleepover!" Rika, Naoko, and Chiharu squealed and they all laughed.

"I guess I'll see you tomorrow morning." I smiled at Sakura.

She nodded tiredly and returned my smile.

"Goodnight." I said and kissed her forehead.

"Goodnight Wolfie." She blushed and left to her room. The girls said goodnight to the guys and left to Sakura's room.

"How about a drink?" Ryuji proposed and I nodded.

-Sakura's POV-

I walked into my room and placed Kero on one of the lounge couches, smiling.

"Ok, so you have to tell us everything!" Meiling said practically bouncing off of the walls in excitement.

"Fine, I will, but let me take a shower first. I think I have sand in my hair still." I said scratching my head.

"Sand?" Rika questioned flopping onto my bed, where the girls all settled.

"I've been at the beach since yesterday night, but I'll tell you guys more about it. You can go ahead and borrow some Pjs from the closet." I yawned and after gathering my towel and a pair of pink velvet short-shorts and a white cami, left to take a well needed hot shower.

As I stepped out and smiled at my friends. They all looked like my clones in the same shorts and tees, the only difference was the color of the pants.

"Why do you have so many of these?" Tomoyo admired in lilac velvet.

"They're really comfy so I bought them in every color they had, and white camis are a necessity." I explained shrugging my shoulders.

"So well, tell us!" Meiling asked excitedly.

After several interruptions and plenty side conversations, I had explained everything from the dinner to the paparazzi to the beach to our day together and finally the ferris wheel.

"I wish I could have recorded it!" Tomoyo cried in happiness.

"I know, it was surreal to me, the whole ordeal." I sighed thinking of Syaoran.

"How does it feel to be the official girlfriend of the most wanted bachelor in Asia?" Naoko asked dramatically.

"It feels pretty damn good." I smiled cheekily.

"That good Saku?" Rika raised her eyes suggestively and I threw a pillow at her.

"He IS a good kisser." I giggled as did they. " But seriously though, he makes me feel like the only girl in the world. As if nothing else mattered but me, and he treats me like a princess." I fell backwards laughing at my corniness.

"I know what you mean, Eriol is the same way." Tomoyo sighed dreamily.

"Me, too." The rest of the girls sighed in unison and we laughed.

"I never thought I would feel this way, to actually giggle like a schoolgirl over a boy." I laughed.

"It's crazy how much things can change in just months." Chiharu laughed.

"Oh and there's still the rest of Senior year to go, I seriously cannot wait for christmas." Rika said with glee. We kept talking and eventually popped in a romantic comedy, before everyone except me fell asleep. I heard a soft knock on my door and I carefully climbed out of bed to answer it. I opened the door softly and was surprised to find a pj clad Syaoran with Suppi and a couple bags in hand.

"Hey." I called softly.

"Hey gorgeous, just thought you might want these." He smiled and I nodded. I took the everything and settled everything on a lounge sofa before signaling for Syaoran to follow me. We walked to the kitchen silently and I but some water to boil for some tea.

"Where are the guys?" I asked curiously.

"All passed out in the game room, we had a couple drinks to celebrate." He smirked and leaned against the kitchen island.

"I have a question that's been bothering for a while now." I admitted.

"Whats up?"

"Will your mom be ok with us dating?" I asked as I fixed myself a cup of tea.

"Are you serious? That woman loves you, I'd be surprised if she hasn't planned our wedding yet." He joked and I laughed in relief.

"What about us living together? I mean before we were faking it so it was ok, but what about now?" I asked concernedly.

"I don't think it will be an issue, my mom knew this would be a possible outcome for our relationship, s I'm pretty sure she took that in mind when she invited you to live here."

I sipped my tea in thought and nodded.

"Alright, now go to bed Hime-sama, it's past your bedtime." He joked ruffling my hair before planting a kiss on my forehead.

"Good night." He walked out of the kitchen.

"Good night." I nodded and looked at my reflection on my mug. I really need to stop blushing.

* * *

 _ ***Couple weeks Later***_

 _-No One's POV-_

 _-Kinomoto Residence-_

Fujitaka sat in the living room, reading the newspaper and listening to his wife bustle about in the kitchen, when his cellphone rang.

"Hello?...Oh hey Koji….Ok, and what were the results?...ok, thank you… I'll talk to you later...Goodnight." He hung up and his wife walked in.

"Who was that Honey?" Nadeshiko asked running a hand through his hair.

"It was the results for the DNA test."

"Well?" She asked anxiously.

"She's-"

 _ **A/N**_ : Well there you go guys! Don't hate me for he cliffhanger, I'll be updating soon anyways. As always please remember to Revew/Comment/ ask questions. Love you all, Till next time :3


	21. Chapter 21

A/N: Hey guys! Happy belated Holidays! I'm so sorry I haven't been updating like usual but I've had a lot of personal issues. I won't go too much into too much detail, but basically, I broke off my engagement (I'm only 22), had to move back in with my mom, had to give away my dog, became an auntie, my laptop broke, so lots of changes. You can also imagine how hard it is to write about a cute and amazing relationship when yours is actually a mess xD I also didn't want to publish something half-baked, especially after all Saku and Syao have been through. Anyways everything is looking up now and I got a new laptop for Christmas, so hopefully I can get back on track, since after all there's only a handful of chapters left ;) Enjoy

 **~RR~**

 **~DarkAngel~**

* * *

 _-No Ones POV-_

 _Kinomoto Residence-_

Fujitaka sat in the living room, reading the newspaper and listening to his wife bustle about in the kitchen, when his cellphone rang.

"Hello?...Oh hey Koji….Ok, and what were the results?...ok, thank you… I'll talk to you later...Goodnight." He hung up and his wife walked in.

"Who was that Honey?" Nadeshiko asked running a hand through his hair.

"It was the results for the DNA test."

"Well?" She asked anxiously.

"She's our daughter!" He cried happily and Nadeshiko hugged him tightly.

"I knew it! I knew she was my Sakura. Aside from all the coincidences, there was something I can't put my finger on that told me she was mine." She laughed in joy.

"Well you know there's a saying that, there's no such thing as coincidences, only the inevitable." Fujitaka said with a smile.

"Well, I'm just glad this was inevitable." She hugged him again. "Oh my gosh! We have to tell Touya! And-and Sonomi and-and Tomoyo-"

"Slow down Honey, relax, we'll take care of it." Fujitaka smiled at his wife adoringly.

"I'm sorry, I'm just so excited!"

"With reason, now come on, let's go call Touya." He extended his hand and she took it.

* * *

- _Sakura's POV-_

"What do I give to someone who has it all?" I whined to the girls over our conference call.

Christmas was in one week and I was stressing over what to get Syaoran. We almost had a month together and it had been the most amazing month of my life. He was so caring and gentle, yet strong and protective. Both him and Eriol were currently upstairs with his mother, talking about some family matters.

"What about a new video game? You guys are always playing." Naoko suggested.

"He already got all the new ones that just came out." I groaned. " What am I going to do? Christmas is this upcoming Sunday."

"Why not try to make him something?" Rika suggested.

"Yeah Sakura! You're artsy and all of that." Chiharu Agreed.

"There might be something there…" I trailed off, thinking what my options were.

"You could always...you know…" Meiling said suggestively.

"Mei!" I yelled embarrassed.

"It's just so fun teasing you." She laughed.

"Oh Sakura! Is your portfolio ready for your interview tomorrow?" Tomoyo asked excitedly. Tomorrow, Monday, I was being interviewed for my scholarship at the Tokyo Art University, so I had permission to skip both school and work.

"Yes it is, your auntie Nadeshiko helped me put it together earlier." I smiled softly at the memory from just hours before.

"Auntie did?" Tomoyo asked curiously.

"Yeah, you know how I meet her every Sunday at the bookshop? I thought she could help me out and give me an impartial point of view. She has a good eye for art." I complimented.

"My grandfather from my mom's side was a painter, and my Auntie herself paints and plays the organ." Tomoyo supplied.

"Oh your Auntie sounds cool! I want to meet her." Meiling said excitedly.

"I really like her." I said and a knock at my door interrupted my thoughts.

"Hey, can I talk to you?" Syaoran asked poking his head in and I nodded. He walked over to my bed and sat on the edge.

"Alrighty guys, I have to go, but I'll call you guys tomorrow to let you know how everything went. Love you all, byeeeee." I said and hung up my phone.

"Hey" Syaoran smirked.

"Hey." I smiled back as he leaned over and gave me a quick peck.

"So, there's bad news and good news. Which one do you want first?" He winced.

"Bad ones." I smirked.

"So, my mom, Eriol and I have to go home for Christmas."

"That's not too bad." I said tilting my head to the side.

"No, Angel, I mean we have to go back to Hong Kong." He said with a sad expression.

"Then what's the good news?" I asked sadly, thinking of how we weren't going to be able to spend Christmas together.

"The good news is you and Tomoyo are coming too!" He smiled excitedly and I jumped up.

"What? No way!" I said in utter disbelief.

"Babe, would you please come with me to Hong Kong and meet my family?" He asked gently with a smile.

"Of course!" I squealed with joy and hugged him hard.

"Good, 'cause we are leaving tomorrow night." He smirked and my eyes widened in surprise.

"What?! That's too soon!" I said nervously thinking about his Christmas present.

"Well, we'll be back before New Year's Eve so you and the girls can exchange presents when we come back, if that's what you're worried about." Syaoran said

"Phew, I was worried." I said trying to seem relieved.

"Alright, well get some sleep, you have a big day tomorrow and I need to get on the phone with my family in Hong Kong. I'll be taking you to your interview tomorrow." He said before kissing me senseless. I sighed in contentment and watched him make his way to the door.

"Goodnight hime-sama" He smirked.

"Goodnight Syao." I said with a small grin on my face.

He left and I fell back on my bed, a smile plastered on my face. His kisses were addictive, that was something I had come to learn; as well as how despite his cool bad boy image, he was caring and attentive. He made me feel like a princess, like there was no other girl out there who could even compare to me. He tended to be less lovey-dovey with me in public since he knew I grew embarrassed but still made it a point to let it be known I was his. And most importantly, he still gave me my space and respected me above all.

Yelan had been ecstatic when we told her we were dating, but I wasn't sure how the rest of his family was going to react. Sure, I'd spoken to his sisters through the phone and Meiling and Eriol had already accepted me, but it was the Elders and the rest of the family that worried me. My background wasn't the best being that I wasn't rich,or actually knew who my family was but I wasn't going to let that get me down. Syaoran had chosen me, out of the thousands of girls who threw themselves at him, and that fact alone gave me the confidence I needed.

I got ready for bed and thought of what to get him for christmas once again, the fact we were leaving tomorrow didn't help much. I knew expensive things wouldn't impress him, he had already pre-ordered and bought most of the new games coming out, he had almost 100 different ties and cufflinks, and basically anything he could ever want. I nodded cuddling up to my Syaoran bear, wishing it was the real one.

* * *

I woke up with a start, I was late. I showered and clumsily went through the rest of my morning routine. Thanking Tomoyo mentally for picking my outfit for the day, I got dressed. She had picked out a soft pink button up blouse, black slacks, a black blazer and nude leather pumps. I put my hair up in a sleek high ponytail and did some light makeup.

"You ready Sakura?" Syaoran called from outside my door.

"I'm ready!" I called as I grabbed my portfolio and the pink handbag Tomoyo had given me. I opened the door and ran-smacked into Syaoran.

"Why do you do that?." I muttered rubbing my forehead.

"Let's go, you're late." He rolled his eyes while smirking and took the giant black art bag that contained my portfolio. He was dressed casually in jeans, a grey sweater and black boots. Instead of his usual leather jacket though, he had an actual pea coat on and a red scarf.

"Good morning to you too." I grumbled behind him. He stopped abruptly and I almost ran into him again.

"I'm sorry." He smirked and jerked towards him.

He kissed me deeply, but I wished it would have lasted longer.

"Good morning Cherry." He said huskily.

"Good morning little wolf." I smiled widely.

"Now come on, or you'll really be late." He smiled, extending his free hand and I took it.

We made it to the University on time and before I knew it I was walking out of the interview.

"So?" Syaoran asked expectantly as I approached him.

I looked up at him sadly and he sighed deeply.

"I'm so sorry Sak-" he started but I interrupted him.

"I got the scholarship!" I cried with joy and jumped on him.

"What? Really?" He asked excitedly.

"Yes! Yes! Yes!" I laughed and he swung me around, holding on tightly to me. He put me down and kissed me tenderly on the lips.

"Thank you Syaoran." I smiled softly and hurried my head into his chest.

"Why are you thanking me? You should be proud of yourself." He smiled.

"I mean don't get me wrong, I am, it's just that you and your mother took me into your house, and you also submitted that drawing to the art show. I don't know, I just feel like you're a big part of my happiness."

"And you are all of my happiness." He smiled brightly and my heart melted.

"There is one thing though." I said as we made our way to his car.

"What's up?" He asked as he put my stuff in the back and then opened my door.

"They want me to change my major."

"To what?"

"Fine arts." I said

He raised an eyebrow in question, I was being too vague and he knew it.

"They said I have too much talent to waste as a teacher and want me to become a real painter." I said shyly.

"I told youuuuu." He dragged the u in a singsong voice.

"Whatever." I rolled my eyes playfully.

Syaoran, Yelan and the rest of the gang had been basically begging me to go into fine arts. I could still teach with a Fine arts degree but whereas the Art Education degree focused on teaching, Fine arts focused on painting and expanding my knowledge of the subject. When the people at the university told me the same I took it as a sign and went for it.

"Hey, can you drop me off at the mall? I still need a present for your mom." I lied trying to sound nonchalant.

" I thought you had one for her already?" He asked raising an eyebrow, and I mentally face-palmed my face since I went shopping for his mom with him.

"I did, but I want to get her something else since she's inviting me to Hong-Kong." I said quickly trying to make something up. "And I want to get something for your sisters, since I get to meet them."

"Oh, Ok." He said, a quizzical look still on his face.

We got to the mall and he dropped me off at the front.

"You sure you don't want me to go with you?" He asked with a smirk.

Damn it. He knew I was getting him something.

"You know I'm going to get your present, so stop it." I pouted.

"You're just a terrible liar Angel." He chuckled and kissed me playfully.

"Whatever Demon, now let me just shop for you in peace." I smiled and kissed his forehead quickly before hopping out of his car.

He smirked and waved goodbye before speeding off and I just smiled in giddy and made my way inside. I walked past store fronts looking for something that stood out to me, while trying to avoid the crowd of people enjoying the christmas cheer. I walked past a jewelry store and saw a necklace that caught my interest. I walked inside where a warm young lady greeted me.

"Hi, Welcome to Maki Jewelry, how can I help you." the short brunette chriped.

"Can I see that men's necklace on display?" I asked.

"The one with the silver chain?" She asked and I nodded. She got the necklace for me and I smiled.

"Perfect, I'll take it." I smiled at the lady and she smiled. She placed the necklace in a small box and proceeded to check me out.

"Present for your boyfriend?" She smiled.

"Yeah." I smiled at the thought of Syaoran.

"It's funny, a young man came in here last week and bought a similar version of this necklace." She rang me up and I swiped my debit card.

"Really?"

"Yeah, really handsome too. Well, happy holidays." She said cheerfully and after grabbing my tiny bag, I wished her the same and left. All I needed were some art supplies and I was set for his present.

* * *

 _*Syaoran's POV*_

I dropped my keys off on my nightstand and there was a knock on the door two seconds after.

"Come in." I called and Eriol stepped in.

"Hey lover boy." He smirked.

"Hey yourself, If i'm not mistaken the one who said 'I Love You' to his girlfriend was you." I spat back with a smirk.

"Yeah, yeah, but you aren't too far behind." He smiled mischievously and sat on my bed.

" Ne, Eriol, Can I ask you something?" I asked seriously taking a seat next to him. There was something I needed some insight on and there was no one like Eriol.

"Sure, anything." Eriol said curiously, seeing the change in my demeanor.

"How do you know when…" I trailed off, kind of embarrassed to be saying it outloud.

"When what?" He asked after a couple minutes of silence.

I stayed in silence for a while, trying to get the courage to say it outloud.

"When you love someone?" I whispered.

"What?" Eriol's eyes widened in surprise. "Did I misheard you?"

I ran a hand through my hair exasperatedly and let out a long sigh.

"I guess not." Eriol chuckled and I shot him a glare.

"It's not funny." I growled.

"You're right, I'm sorry." he apologized.

"It's ok, its just, you know, I'm bad at this stuff. Sakura wasn't in my plans, I'm supposed to be the big and mean "Bad Boy Syaoran". Us becoming friends, let alone best friends and then boyfriend/girlfriend wasn't in the plan for this year." I sighed deeply and fell back on my bed.

"So what? Bad boys don't fall in love?" Eriol asked adjusting his glasses and I sat upright once again.

"It's just, it's so foreign, you know? I don't even know If what I'm feeling is really love."

"Syaoran, how would you feel if someone else tried to take Sakura away?"

"I'd rip out his throat and shove it up where the sun don't shine." I answered menacingly without a second thought.

"That's your answer." He smiled and left me to my thoughts.

I flopped back on my bed and thought of all the times me and Sakura had spent together. From punching that random guy at the mall to us dancing at the Halloween ball, to us sleeping under the stars on the beach. It had been obvious from the start, how I'd watched her everyday in English class and how once I got partnered up with her I used it as an excuse to try and figure her out. Once I heard she was in charge of the art mural, I had coach for extra credit even though I didn't need it. The first time I saw her without her sweater, my jaw basically dropped and I kept trying to sneak glances at her. Befriending her, remembering what she liked and what she didn't, helping her in any way I could, looking out for her, taking her to the dance, playing video games, everything. I had been falling for a while and now I was at rock bottom.

I Loved her.

And she had to know.

* * *

 _*Sakura's POV*_

"Thank you for the lift 'Moyo." I smiled as I got into her car. I had finished shopping and decided to call Tomoyo to grab some dinner.

"It's no problem babe, I feel like we've been so busy lately we haven't really had the chance to hangout just us two." She smiled and I nodded.

"Usual spot?" I asked and she nodded. The ramen shop by the train station was one of our frequent dinner places. I sent a quick text to Syaoran letting him know about my plans with Tomoyo. We chatted the whole way about my successful interview and my scholarship while listening to the radio. In no time we were sitting down in a booth waiting for our ramens.

"Did you find something for Syaoran?" Tomoyo asked

"I did, I bought him something and I'm also going to make something, but it's a surprise." I smiled knowingly.

"Sounds just like you Sakura-chan." She laughed.

"What did you get Eriol?" I asked.

"Um, it's a surprise too." Tomoyo said shyly and I looked at her curiously.

"Wha-" I started but right then two steaming bowls of ramen were placed in front of us.

"Enjoy ladies." A beautiful man with silver hair smiled gently before retiring to the back.

" 'ne was it just me or was he really handsome?" Tomoyo asked in a hushed tone.

"I wonder what he'd look like with a pair of angel wings?" I asked absentmindedly. For some reason the idea of drawing half of him as is and the other half with long hair, silver eyes and angel wings seemed to burn in my mind.

"You're so creative Sakura." Tomoyo smiled and I blushed lightly.

"Lets eat!" I smiled and she nodded. The ramen was delicious as always and Tomoyo and I were completely full and satisfied by the time we were done.

"We haven't been here since the summer." Tomoyo commented glancing around.

"Well actually, Syaoran and I came here once. He bumped into me at the bookshop and we came here after." I smiled at the memory.

"I'm so happy you guys are finally together! And we get to meet Eriol and Syaoran's family too." Tomoyo smiled and I smiled back.

"Oh my gosh I totally forgot we're going to hong kong!" I said excitedly.

"HONG KONG?" A loud voice boomed from the back and I saw a tall young man with dark brown hair and eyes to match. He looked angry, while the man with silver hair stood behind him with a smile in his face.

"Touya-kun?" Tomoyo gasped.

"Who's he?" I whispered.

"That's my cousin, Auntie Nadeshiko's son." She whispered back and I sat in awe.

A/N: Well there you go! I will now be updating regularly once again so you can expect a weekly update once again :3 oh, someone commented about Sakura and Syaoran's hair and tbh I dont mind if you imagine them with their regular hair, I just wanted to have at least one of my fics with them having long hair. oops did I say one of? Meaning I may be working on a second fanfic? who knows? only time will tell xD anyways guys, love you! This year has been mega special since I started writing Fanfic, the love I get from you guys is literally irreplaceable ;3 Hope you guys have a wonderful New years 3


	22. Chapter 22

A/N: Hello, my lovely readers! :* I just want to start off by saying I'M SO SORRY T_T I know I said I'd be updating soon but I have two words for the reason why I haven't updated until now: Writer's Block. Seriously, this hasn't ever happened to me before, but It was so frustrating! I already have the next couple chapters planned out but I didn't know how to get from point A to point B, but I finally forced myself to get over it and I'm currently in a flow :3 Anyways! please enjoy this chapter, it has a very light and fluffy theme since things will be getting serious soon, so Enjoy!

~Remember to review/comment and let me know what you think!~

P.s~ I know there's some grammatical errors but like I said before, Once the fic is done I will be going back to review everything and correct them, so please put up with me for a little while longer :3

 **~DarkAngel~**

~R&R~

* * *

- _ **Sakura's POV-**_

"HONG KONG?" A loud voice boomed from the back and I saw a tall young man with dark brown hair and eyes to match. He looked angry, while the man with silver hair stood behind him with a smile in his face.

"Touya-kun?" Tomoyo gasped.

"Who's he?" I whispered.

"That's my cousin, Auntie Nadeshiko's son." She whispered back and I sat in awe.

"Any Idea why he's so mad?" I asked curiously.

"Nop." she giggled quietly.

Tomoyo's cousin approached our table stiffly with the silver man behind.

"Hi Touya-kun." Tomoyo greeted cheerfully. "I didn't know you worked here."

"What's this I hear about Hong Kong?" He huffed and the silver haired man tugged his sleeve.

"Now Touya, where are your manners?" He smiled gently. "Nice to meet you, I'm Yukito Tsukishiro, Touya's best friend and partner."

"I'm Tomoyo Daidouji, and this is Sakura Kinomoto." She introduced us and I smiled.

"Nice to meet you both." He smiled and I felt warm inside. Not in a romantic way, but in a comforting kind of way.

"As well." I smiled.

"Now, what's this about Hong Kong?" Touya asked, his eyes turning into slits.

"Our boyfriend's families are Chinese so we're going over to Hong Kong to meet them." Tomoyo smiled.

"Boyfriends!?" Touya slammed his hand on our table.

"Is he always like this?" I whispered to Tomoyo who merely smiled and nodded.

"He's very protective, almost like an older brother to me." she whispered back.

I nodded and watched as Tsukishiro tried to calm Touya softly.

"Oh that's right Touya! My mom and I are having a New Years Eve party, I'm sure my mom already told Auntie Nadeshiko but I wanted to extend the invitation to Tsukishiro-san as well." Tomoyo said and smiled at Tsukishiro.

"Please, Yukito is fine, but we'll gladly be there. Thank you, Tomoyo-chan." He smiled and my insides went all Hyannnn.

"That goes for you as well Kinomoto-san, please call me Yukito." He smiled at me now and I nodded.

"Sakura is fine." I smiled.

"Well, we should get back to work, let's go Touya. Enjoy girls." Yukito said gently and dragged a serious Touya away.

"Your cousin is intense." I laughed as we started to eat.

"Not at all, he's just really overprotective. I can't wait to see what he's like when he meets his younger sister." She laughed as if it was an inside joke.

"I kinda feel bad for her." I joked and we went on with dinner.

* * *

Tomoyo and I ate and after stopping at a cafe for some tea and dessert, she dropped me off at home. She told me not to worry about packing since she'd be coming over the next day to help me out. I opened the door and was greeted by Wei.

"Welcome home, Sakura-sama." He bowed slightly.

"Wei, I'm not a sama but anyways, where is Syaoran?"

"He's training in his Dojo." He smiled.

"Perfect, I can't let him see my bags." I smiled and dashed towards my room. I changed into a pair of sweats and a t-shirt before I set to work on my gift for Syaoran. I worked on the present non-stop, only taking a break to use the bathroom or change the music blasting through my room. Around midnight there was a knock on my door and knowing it was most likely Syaoran I went to answer the door.

"Hi." I said stepping into the hallway and closing the door behind me.

"Hey princess, need any help?" Syaoran smirked and swatted his arm.

"Stooooppppp" I whined dramatically making him chuckle.

"Can't I just please surprise you?" I batted my eyelashes at him and he chuckled again, placing his hands on my waist pulling me close.

"Fine, but only because you look cute when you pout." He laughed and kissed me softly.

"You should feel lucky, I don't pout in front of anyone." I laughed.

"Oh trust me, I feel lucky." He smirked deviously and before he crushed his lips against mine again.

This kiss wasn't gentle though, it was rough and hungry, as if he couldn't get enough of me. I felt myself grab his shirt and pull him closer, as if that was possible and in response he pulled me closer by the small of my back. We pulled back at the same time, both of us out of breath, my lips feeling bruised yet we both smiled at each other.

"Goodnight Saku." He smiled and kissed my forehead.

"Goodnight Syao." I smiled and went back into my room.

* * *

 ** _*Syaoran POV*_**

I woke up and glanced at my clock even though I knew it was 5:00 am. I changed into my martial arts gear and made my way down to the Dojo. As I passed Sakura's room, I heard music playing softly and noticed the light was still on. I thought of knocking but opted against it and softly opened the door, poking my head in. I noticed her right away, she had fallen asleep leaning on her desk and I smiled at the sight. Her hair fell around her like a curtain and a small stream of sunlight from the sunrise gave her a golden halo.

I softly padded to her and picked her up, being careful not look around too much and find my present by accident. I carried her bridal style and chuckled quietly when she snuggled against me, before I set her down gently on her bed and tucked her in. I kissed her cheek and tucked a strand of her hair behind her hair before she smiled in her sleep. I quietly made my way out of her room, making sure to keep my eyes down, and smiled as I made my way to the Dojo.

She had me wrapped around her pinkie and she didn't even know it.

After my workout and training, I ran upstairs for a shower and changed into jeans and an olive green muscle shirt. There was a knock on my door and I called for them to come in.

"Syaoran-sama, breakfast is ready and Yelan-sama and Sakura-sama are waiting for you." Wei smiled and bowed.

"Thank you Wei." I nodded and made my way downstairs to the dining room. I smiled at the sight of my mother and Sakura talking animatedly and laughing. Lately the seating arrangement had changed so that I sat at the head of the table, Sakura sat on my right and my mother right across from her on my left. My mother had made the change and was really vague when I had asked her why but either way I liked the fact we looked like a family.

"Good morning Ladies." I strolled in and kissed my mother on the cheek before going around and kissing Sakura's cheek as well and taking my seat. My mom looked regal as always in a sharp business suit and a high ponytail, while Sakura looked comfortable in sweats, a t-shirt and damp hair.

"Good morning Son, Sakura and I were just discussing the trip." My mother smiled as the maids brought out an american-style breakfast of pancakes, eggs, bacon, and fruit.

"You're not scaring her, are you?" I joked.

"Not at all!" Sakura laughed. "She was telling me how on Christmas Eve there's usually a big dinner and then a formal ball."

"Oh yes, our infamous Christmas Ball, I remember those things being tedious and annoying to me and Eriol."

"Well I think you might change your mind this year since you will have such good company." My mother winked and I smiled.

"I think so too." I smirked at Sakura who blushed lightly.

"I just hope I don't make a fool of myself in front of your family." Sakura laughed nervously.

"They're going to love you, my dear." My mom smiled with a twinkle in her eyes. "Oh, our flight leaves at 8:00 pm tonight, Tomoyo and Eriol will be coming here and we'll all be leaving from here."

"Sounds good, you ready Sakura?" I asked.

"As I'll ever be." She chuckled nervously and my mother laughed at her cute expression.

* * *

 _ ***Sakura's POV***_

After breakfast, Syaoran left to meet up with the guys and I traded my sweats and t-shirt for jeans, an over-sized red sweater and red converse. I hopped into my jeep and left for the mall; since Tomoyo and I were leaving for Hong Kong, the girls had decided to get together to help us shop for a couple things. I pulled up to the mall and checked the group chat to see where the meeting point was.

"Sakura!" I heard my name being called and snapped up to see Meiling and the rest of the gang waving at me a little farther up.

"Hi guys." I greeted after catching up to them.

"Look at us all matching!" Tomoyo said excitedly and I took notice that we in fact all were wearing red.

Tomoyo sported a red knit dress, white stockings and brown knee-high boots, Meiling wore a red long-sleeve blouse, black jeans and black biker boots and Rika wore a red sweater, a brown plaid-skirt and brown thigh high boots. Naoko looked adorable in a red jumpsuit, black long sleeve, white knee-high socks and black boots, as well as Chiharu, who used a red sweater that looked to be Yamazaki's (since it said Varsity Tomoeda High School and Yamazaki's last name and number on the back) as a dress, white stockings and brown uggs.

"And we didn't even plan it!" Meiling laughed and we laughed as well.

"Well, I don't know about you, but I definitely need some shopping therapy, the holidays are a lot of pressure." Chiharu whined jokingly.

"I know, this is the first year I have a boyfriend for christmas and I never knew it was so stressful." Naoko added.

"Welcome to my world." Chiharu joked and we laughed knowing she had been with Yamazaki since elementary and knew him since kindergarten.

"Did you find a present for Syaoran, Sakura?" Rika asked as we entered a clothing store.

"Yeah, I bought him something and made him something too." I said yawning. "Worked all night on it."

"Awww, you're so cute Sakura." Tomoyo squealed.

"Cut it out, it's embarrassing." I grumbled and the girls laughed. We browsed through a couple stores and I bought a couple of cute tops and a new pair of forest green low-top converse. Tomoyo bought some dresses and a couple of heels for the trip.

"Oh, Tomoyo, did you know there's a Christmas Ball after dinner?" I asked Tomoyo after settling down at a restaurant for lunch.

"Oh yes! I have a beautiful dress ready for you." Tomoyo smiled.

"Wow, Tomoyo you work fast." Naoko joked.

"You guys have no Idea how many dresses I have for Sakura, she refuses to wear anything but jeans though." She laughed and I sweatdropped.

"They're comfortable." I argued.

"She does dress up when she goes out with Syaoran though, and for work, so we gotta give her that." Meiling said and I glared at her.

"Gee, thanks Mei."

"No problem babe." She winked and the girls laughed.

"I'm starvinggggg, let's order." Chiharu said dramatically and a waiter approached our table, took our orders and left. We all got strawberry daiquiris to celebrate the holiday early and the waiter didn't even check our ID's once he saw Meiling.

"Having you around is Fun, Mei." Rika laughed once the waiter came back with our drinks.

"Always, darling." She winked and we laughed at her antics.

"I wonder what the boys are doing?" Naoko wondered out loud.

"Probably drinking and playing video games." I guessed.

"Actually, I think they're somewhere here in the mall. Takashi said they were going to the arcade after lunch." Chiharu said slurping her drink.

"That sounds like them." Tomoyo laughed. We got our food and ordered another round of drinks, while we discussed everything about the trips and he holidays. We finished, got dessert, 3 more drink rounds and were on our way strolling around the mall again

"Ugh, I'm so full, and those drinks def got me." Chiharu said giggling.

"Oh no, trouble at 1 o'clock." Rika groaned.

"I thought it was 2?" Naoko giggled, the drinks clearly taking effect.

"No, I mean, a group of guys is coming this way. I don't know about you but I really don't feel like getting hit on." Rika moaned.

"Me neither, I'm not used to guys hitting on me." I said linking arms with Mei and Tomoyo. We were all definitely tipsy and did not want to deal with jerks.

"But Saku! You're a total babe." Chiharu smiled.

"It's just-"

"I completely agree with you sweetheart, she's a total babe." A masculine voice interrupted me and I rolled my eyes.

The guys who had been coming our way decided to make their entrance. There were 6 of them, all a little taller than us, but definitely shorter than our boys, all clad in jeans and hoodies. The one who had spoken up had short spiky hair, dark brown eyes, and a smile that gave me the creeps.

"Can we help you?" Meiling snapped.

"Matter of fact, yes you can, sweet cheeks." A guy with brown eyes and a buzz cut answered.

"We were looking for some dates for Christmas and it looks like we found some." A hazel-eyed, brown floppy-haired guy smiled.

"Why does this always happen to us?" Naoko sighed dramatically leaning onto Rika.

"Listen, here, whoever you are-" Chiharu started but a guy with black cropped hair and matching eyes put a finger to her lips to shush her.

"The name is Axel." He smiled.

"That's Bunji, Eizo and Fumio." He pointed at buzz-cut, floppy-hair and cropped-hair, respectively.

They each smiled as their names were called.

"The other two are Kinji and Masao." He pointed at a guy with brown eyes and a purple baseball hat and another one with clear eyes and blonde hair. They each smiled and Chiharu stepped back with a look of disgust at the guys finger touching her.

"Listen, we don't want to be rude but we all have boyfriends and aren't interested." I tried to explain, letting go of the girls and stepping forward to make sure they heard me.

"What? You can't have more than one?" Eizo asked running a finger down my cheek and I snapped. Maybe it was the alcohol, maybe it was the disrespect but I grabbed the same arm he had used and flipped him over, judo style.

"Dude, what the-" Fumio started but Kinji was already yanking my forearm.

"Who do you think you-" He started but I grabbed his hand bent it back and forced him into a kneeling position.

"Yo, let-" Kini started but I was already push-kicking him to the floor, while the girls cheered me on.

"Anyone else?" I asked, still holding on to Kinji's arm.

The rest of the boys shook their heads no and I let go of his arm.

"Trouble there, Angel?" A deep voice called from behind me and I instantly smiled.

"Wolfie!" I squealed with joy and jumped on him.

"That's no Angel, bro. She's a demon." Bunji said helping up Fumio.

"Actually, I'm the Demon." He glared at the bunch and they all scattered away, clearly scared.

"Now, THAT'S, what I call intimidating." Meiling joked and we all laughed, the rest of the guys coming up to the girls and claiming their attention.

"How did you guys find us?" I asked Syaoran.

"We weren't exactly looking for you guys, we ate, drank, played at the arcade and then started walking around the mall when suddenly there was a guy flying who caught our eyes." He chuckled at the last part and I looked down in embarrassment.

"We had like 5 daiquiris and those guys kept annoying us, so I kinda snapped." I shrugged.

"Kinda?" He smirked.

"Ok, fine, I'm not used to getting hit on and they were being cocky jerks." I tried to put on my most innocent smile.

"Remind me to never get you upset at me." Syaoran chuckled and kissed me tenderly.

"No promises." I laughed.

"Well, we'll let you ladies get back to your girls day, we're about to go bowling." Eriol smiled while kissing Tomoyo's temple.

"We're going Ice Skating." Rika smiled at Miki and he hugged her from behind.

Tomoyo handed me back my shopping bags and I turned to say my goodbyes.

"Here" Syaoran said and took my bags.

"You don't have to-" I started but he cut me off.

"Let me, please. It's kind of the universal sign that says "Leave me alone, I have a girlfriend." He smirked and I laughed.

"Good Idea." Ryuji said and took Meiling's bags. One by one, the guys took the girls bags and said their goodbyes.

"Ok then, I'll see you at home little wolf." I smiled and kissed his cheek.

"See you at home, babe." He kissed me soundly and they left towards the movie theater.

"We got it bad, don't we?" Rika sighed as we watched he guys walk away.

"Oh yeah." Tomoyo sighed and we laughed in return.

* * *

We went Ice Skating and shopped around a little more, but by 5 we were saying our goodbyes. Tomoyo was going to go home to shower and say her goodbyes to her mom before coming over to help me pack. She was already packed and assured me that she had enough clothes for the both of us, but still wanted me to pack my bag as well. I pulled into the house and took the chance that Syaoran wasn't home yet to put the finishing touches on his present.

Syaoran knocked on my door just as I zipped up my suitcase.

"Come in!" I called.

"We leave in an hour ladies, so start getting ready." He smiled and I nodded. He closed the door and I flopped back onto my bed.

"Can you believe we're going to China, Tomoyo!" I said excitedly.

"I know! I can hardly believe it either." she smiled and stepped out of the closet holding up two outfits.

"Now, come on we have to get ready to make our debut." She smiled and I laughed at her antics.

I showered and changed into the outfit Tomoyo had laid out for me: a forest green off the shoulder sweater, a black pleated mini-skirt, black thigh-high socks and thigh-high high-heeled boots. Tomoyo curled the ends of my hair and put half of it into a messy bun and the rest let it fall down my back. She did some light makeup and I switched my pink purse to a black cross-body one that had a panda on it.

"You work miracles 'Moyo." I praised her work as I saw myself in the mirror.

"You're exaggerating." She smiled and I hugged her.

"You look gorgeous as well." I smiled and she really did. She was dressed in loose navy blue sweater dress, cream-colored tights and brown knee-high block-heeled boots. Her hair was in a fluffy-wavy ponytail and she had light make-up as well.

There was a knock on my door and I called for them to come in.

"Are you ladies ready?" Eriol strolled in, wearing a cream turtle neck, navy blue chinos and brown shoes and belt. Wei walked in with a couple more butlers who took our bags and left downstairs.

"Yup." We chorused and laughed at our jinx.

"Let's go then." Syaoran strolled in and my jaw almost dropped at how good he looked in a forest green sweater, black jeans and black timberland boots. His black biker jacket just completed the look and I wanted to jump on him right then and there.

Tomoyo grabbed Eriol's outstretched hand and left downstairs with him. I walked past Syaoran expecting to do the same but he held me back, hugging me from behind with his arm across my waist.

"You look absolutely breathtaking." He whispered into my ear and chills ran down my spine.

"Thank you." I whispered back, my voice barely audible.

"I'm going to have a hard time sharing you." He said huskily and spun me around before kissing me into a different dimension. My legs felt like jello by the time we pulled back and I smiled up at him before kissing his cheek.

"Sakura! Syaoran!" Tomoyo called from downstairs and made our way downstairs with a smile on our face.

* * *

We rode in a limo to the airport, but instead of getting off at the entrance, the limousine drove around into a secluded area before stopping in front of a giant jet with the Ying-yang symbol printed on the tail and the Li name printed on the side. My mouth went slack at the sight and I looked at Syaoran who was smirking at my expression.

"You have your own Jet?!" I yelled-whispered at him, while we waited to get out of the limo.

"Jets." He corrected and got out of the limo before offering his hand to help me out.

"Anything else I should know ?" I joked and took his extended arm. Wei helped Yelan climb the stairs to the jet, and Tomoyo had taken Eriol's arm as well.

"Couple jets, boats, and a yacht." He smirked and I chuckled as we climbed the small staircase.

We settled into the plush leather seats and I waited anxiously for take off.

"Nervous?" Syaoran asked as we watched the flight attendant go through security procedures.

"A little." I admitted and he took a hold of my hand gently.

Our flight was uneventful, to our luck, and in 4 short hours we were landing in Hong Kong, China. I had spent my time sleeping or drawing, while Syaoran listened to music. We had quiet conversations and at one point Tomoyo and I had switched seats to the back and sat with Yelan to keep her some company, but now that we had landed and were only minutes away from meeting the entire Li family, my stomach was in knots.

"Angel, there's something you should know." Syaoran said turning to face me fully.

"What's wrong?" I asked worriedly.

"Nothing's wrong but you should be prepared. The Li's are kind of a big deal here in china, like a really big deal." He sighed.

"How big?" I asked and I saw that behind Syaoran, Eriol seemed to be having the same conversation with Tomoyo.

"Basically royalty." he winced and I simply stared at him. "I'm just letting you know this because with me being the Heir to the empire things might get a little crazy, but just stick to me, hold on to my arm and smile."

"Ready?" Yelan smiled and the four of us stood in unison, nodding. "They'll probably be asking a lot of questions but you don't have to answer any you don't feel comfortable with."

"Who's they?" I whispered.

"You'll see." Syaoran whispered back and offered his arm to me, which I gladly took. The door to the jet opened and a million flashes went off.

Paparazzi.

Crap.

* * *

A/N: There you go my rockstars! :3 I really LOVE LOVE LOVE, love you all! thank you for making me feel like such an awesome and lucky authoress. Please don't hesitate to comment/criticize/ ask any questions! :3 Until, next time :3 **~DarkAngel~**


	23. Chapter 23

_A/N_ : Hey guys! Thank you so much for your reviews and your support! You're all my rockstars and I love you all! I will be switching POV less as we get nearer to the end and for you ExT fans I do have something planned for you, I know I have been neglecting them but it's only because I want to give you all some SxS fluff after all this time. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter and I hope to keep hearing from you all!

 _~R &R~_

 **~DarkAngel~**

* * *

 _ **-Sakura's POV-**_

Paparazzi.

Crap.

There was a sea of reporters waiting for us, camera flashes were going off everywhere, nearly blinding me. Even though it was night time, the entire area was well lit for us. An impressive amount of bodyguards where making a path for us from the jet to the awaiting limo, but reporters still tried to fight their way through. Yelan made her way down first, shaking hands and smiling elegantly for the reporters. She looked so natural, answering a couple questions and moving down with ease. Eriol and Tomoyo followed, but from what I could tell Eriol handled the talking while Tomoyo smiled and nodded along, she was used to these kind of things but since she didn't act like your typical rich heiress, it was easy for me to forget she was one.

Then it was our turn. I tried to smile at all the reporters but with all the flashes it was hard to concentrate on one.

"How does it feel to be back home?" A reporter shouted.

Syaoran slowed down and put on his work smile.

"It's always good to be home really, I've missed it." He said with ease.

"It's this your infamous Japanese girlfriend ? There was some kind of scandal a couple months back about it." A different reported asked.

"This lovely lady is in fact my girlfriend but there was no scandal I can assure you, Sakura and I were just trying to maintain our privacy."

"Ms. Sakura! Ms. Sakura! How does it feel to have the most sought-after bachelor in Asia?" A reporter asked me and I swallowed down my nerves. Syaoran was about to translate but I just answered back in fluid Mandarin.

"To be completely honest, when we first started dating I didn't even know he was such a sought-after bachelor, I just knew him as Syaoran, my annoying classmate." I joked and the reporters listening laughed. Syaoran looked impressed and gave me a small look that meant he'd question me later about it.

"So you didn't know he was one of the most powerful men in China?" The same reporter asked.

"I mean, I knew he came from a powerful family but to me that didn't matter as much. The things that really pulled me towards him were his personality and his character." I answered honestly and the audience awwed in response.

"Can we speculate to see more of you and in the future?" A reporter asked further down.

"Absolutely, I'd be a fool to let her go." He said confidently and kissed my temple.

"Ms. Sakura! What are your thoughts on this trip?"

"I'm thrilled to be here. It's very exciting to explore such a beautiful culture, and I get to practice my mandarin as well." I joked and the reporter laughed.

"Your mandarin is really good, don't worry." He assured me and I thanked him.

"Don't let her fool you, she's actually a little genius and makes the best Dim Sum I've ever had." Syaoran teased me and the crowd laughed.

"So she's total wife material then ?" The reporter asked.

"Absolutely, it's all a matter of what the future brings." He smiled and I blushed. After posing a couple more minutes we finally made it to the Limo. We took our seats and I let go of a breath I didn't even know I was holding.

"That was intense." I said as we made a move forward.

"You did wonderfully girls, a job well done." Yelan praised and we smiled.

"Your Mandarin was really fluent Sakura." Tomoyo smiled.

"Yeah, since when can you speak Mandarin Sakura?" Syaoran asked with a smirk.

"Tomoyo made me sit through all of her tutoring classes, one of which was mandarin." I explained.

"What classes did you go through Tomoyo?" Yelan asked.

"Mandarin, French, English, etiquette, manners, walking, speech, among other things were all taught to me since I was small because of my mom's company. As the heiress of the Daidoji Toy emporium I had to learn those kind of things since young." She explained and Yelan nodded in understanding.

"But as a kid she hated those things, so she made sit through them with her." I teased her and Tomoyo blushed lightly.

"They were so boring! Sakura always made things more entertaining." She teased back and now it was my turn to blush.

"I can just imagine" Syaoran chuckled and I swatted him jokingly.

"Well, we won't have to worry about paparazzi at the mansion. Security is extremely tight at the Main house, especially with all the family and Xiaolang here." Eriol reassured us and I found myself sighing in relief.

The Limo slowed to a stop and I glanced out the window to see two huge iron gates swing open slowly. We started to move again slowly and went up the long driveway that led into a circle in front of the mansion. Well, mansion felt short for the humongous structure in front of us, but it was breathtaking nonetheless. We slowed to a stop once again, someone opened the door to the limo from the outside and Syaoran stepped out to offer his hand. I took it and was taken aback in the grandeur of the Li Mansion. Even at night time it looked magnificent and regal, like a fairytale.

A line of maids and butlers awaited for us at the door with fond smiles on their faces and bowed as soon as Syaoran faced them.

"Welcome home, Master." They all said in unison and Syaoran smirked.

"It's good to be back." He smiled back at them. Tomoyo and Eriol stepped out, followed by Yelan and they bowed twice more, greeting them both with the same enthusiasm.

"Well Angel, welcome to my home." He smiled at me and wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me with him towards the house. We walked into the main hall and the inside of the house was just as impressive as the outside. I thought I was used to elegance from living at Syaoran's mansion but this mansion really made Syaoran's house look like an apartment. Two grand staircases stood at the end of the hall, floor to ceiling windows were spread throughout, high ceilings with beautiful chandeliers lit up the entire floor.

"We'll give you a tour tomorrow but since its 2:00 am, I think it's best if we get some rest." Eriol proposed and we nodded.

"Master Li, Master Hiragizawa, your rooms are already prepared as well as the rooms for your guests. Mistress Yelan, your headquarters are ready as well." A maid informed us and bowed before leaving again.

"Alright, well, get some rest my children, we have a very long day tomorrow." Yelan smiled and after kissing each of our cheeks retired to bed using the left staircase.

"Come on, your rooms are next to ours." Syaoran said and pulled me along with him towards the right staircase. Eriol grabbed Tomoyo's waist and followed us close behind.

"Wow." I gasped as I looked at the decor surrounding us in awe.

"Not too shabby, huh?" Syaoran teased and I elbowed him gently.

"This place really is amazing though." Tomoyo said while looking around too.

"And to think we tried to escape so many times." Eriol joked making Syaoran laugh.

"Escape?" I laughed at the mental picture of a miniature Syaoran and Eriol trying to escape.

"I'll tell you the stories one of these days." Syaoran laughed and I nodded.

We reached the top of the stairs and followed the hall to the end where another staircase stood. We went up the second staircase and reached a wide hallway with four double doors and a lounge at the end of the hall with a balcony.

"This is our private wing. Technically it was supposed to be only mine, but I insisted that Eriol lived with me so they added the two rooms on the right." Syaoran explained.

"Why two though?" Tomoyo asked.

"One for him and one for his future fiancee. Our family is big on that, especially since I'm the next in line and Eriol is my right-hand." Syaoran explained and we nodded in understanding.

"My room is the first door to the right and Tomoyo yours is the second one, same layout for you Sakura, so you and Tomoyo are across the hall from each other, your bags should already be in your room." Eriol smiled.

"Don't even worry about unpacking, the maids will take care of it. Let's go get you settled in, I gotta go over some things too." Syaoran extended his hand to me and I took it.

"Goodnight Eriol, Tomoyo." I smiled and they smiled in return before Eriol took Tomoyo's hand and led her to her room too.

Syaoran opened the door to my room and I gasped at the beauty before me, when he flipped the light switch. Everything was in baby pink, rose gold and gold. An enormous, elegant, canopy bed stood in the middle of the back wall, with matching bedside tables on each side, large floor-to-ceiling windows stood on either side of the bed as well . Two doors stood to the left and a giant bay window with a window seat, stood in the middle of the right wall. There were two giant bookcases covering the rest of the wall on either side of the bay window and fluffy pillows decorated the seat.

"Do you like it?" Syaoran asked as I stepped in and gave the room a 360 spin.

"I love it! It's beautiful, it feels like a princess room." I smiled.

"I called yesterday and had the maids decorate everything to your taste." Syaoran smiled and I hugged him.

"Thank you! You really didn't have to."

"It was nothing, but there are a couple things you need to know." He said pulling me towards the bed and we both sat on the edge

"Shoot."

"Technically this room is for my future fiancee too, so both the bathroom and the walk-in closet are joined to my room. Is that an issue?" He asked.

"Not really." I shrugged.

"Just making sure cherry, you know above all I respect you. If you want, you can lock the doors at night, but you know I would never do anything." He gave me a small smile and I kissed his cheek.

"I know, don't worry Syao, I trust you. After all, we HAVE been living together for a while now." I teased and he chuckled.

"Tomorrow I'll probably come and wake you so don't worry about over sleeping. Everyone knows we had a late flight so we're not expected for breakfast but there is going to be a brunch around 11 for us, you're going to meet my sisters then so be prepared for the chaos." He explained and I laughed.

"Ok, thank you for everything wolfie, I'm nervous about meeting your family." I sighed and leaned my head against his chest.

"You have nothing to worry about, you already did really good with the press today." He kissed the top of my head and I snuggled closer to him.

"Oh god, don't even remind me." I groaned.

"You did perfectly well babe, a complete natural. Now, it's time for this princess to get the sleep she needs for a day filled with my hyperactive sisters." He hugged me closer and I clung to him a little longer before he stood to leave.

"Goodnight hime-sama." He whispered before kissing me softly and gently. A dozen butterflies took flight in my stomach and I melted into him.

"Goodnight little wolf." I whispered and he left through one of the doors on the left, which I guessed were the bathroom and closet that led to his room. Too tired to even change my clothes, I took off my boots and plopped back onto the bed,I tucked myself under the covers and soon I was off to dreamland.

* * *

I woke up to the feeling of light butterfly kisses along my cheek and jaw, and smiled before I even opened my eyes.

"I could get used to being woken up like this." I murmured and I heard Syaoran chuckle softly.

"And I could get used to waking you up like this." He whispered in my ear and I shivered.

"I mean, I AM wife material." I smiled, my eyes still closed.

"I knew you were going to bring that up, I just didn't know when." He laughed.

"You know me so well." I laughed and took a peek at him. His hair was damp, and was already dressed in dark blue jeans, a white t-shirt with a black cardigan over it and black converse. He looked comfortable and sexy, a look I didn't even know existed.

"Come on monster, you have a long day ahead of us and brunch is in 30 minutes." He threw a pillow at me and I groaned before dragging myself out the bed. There was a knock on the door and I called for them to come in.

"Good morning Sakura!" Tomoyo chirped and I groaned at her cheerfulness. She looked beautiful in a violet turtleneck, white skirt and brown high-heeled knee-high boots. Her hair was up in a neat bun, with a couple loose tendrils framing her pretty face.

"How can you guys be so cheerful in the morning?" I mumbled.

"You're always like this in the morning so I don't notice anymore, but I'm here to deliver your outfit for the day." She smiled and spread an outfit on the bed. It was a tight white shirt, an over-sized pink cardigan, light blue jeans and tan bailey-bow ugg boots.

"Where did you fit shoes in your bags?" I asked in wonder.

"I have my ways." She said mysteriously and I couldn't help but think she really would.

"Alright ladies, well, I'm going to go check on Eriol, I'll come get you to go downstairs together." Syaoran kissed my temple and I nodded. As soon as he closed the door behind him, Tomoyo jumped on me.

"Ohmygosh ohmygosh ohmygosh SAKURA!" Tomoyo panic whispered. "I'm freaking out! How are you not freaking out? Because I'm freaking out!"

"I mean I'm nervous, yeah, but I didn't know I was handling it better than you." I laughed.

"It's just we're in CHINA, being treated like royalty! You know what they asked us yesterday? They asked Eriol if he saw me as wife material!" She said dramatically while still whispering.

"They asked Syaoran the same thing yesterday!" I said dropping my voice to a whisper too.

"Eriol didn't even hesitate to say 'I certainly see her in my future for a long time, but only if she'll let me.' like it was nothing, but he practically proposed!" She quoted him.

"Ohmygosh when they asked Syaoran he said 'Absolutely, it's all a matter of what the future brings." I gasped.

"Can you imagine?" She flopped back on my bed and I joined her.

"I really can't though, not too long ago we were sitting in my room talking about my mother and sister and doing homework." I laughed.

"Not long ago? That was almost half a year ago, now here we are in China, with two gorgeous and amazing boyfriends being treated like queens." She laughed as well.

"It really is unbelievable." I sighed.

We stayed in silence for a couple minutes, each one of us lost in our thoughts.

"Ok, let me go get ready otherwise, I'll be late." I said and got up to get ready. The bathroom was beautiful and all black marble and gold accents. It had a waterfall shower, a Jacuzzi bathtub and a double sink to match. I went through my morning routine and dressed in a flash since I only had 15 minutes to get ready. After dressing in the outfit Tomoyo had for me, I put my hair up in a ponytail and right then Syaoran knocked on my door telling me it was time to go.

"Ready?" Syaoran smiled and I nodded.

"We're ready!" Tomoyo smiled from her door where Eriol was standing with an adoring smile directed at her. Eriol looked handsome in beige chinos, a navy checkered sweater, and brown loafers.

"You ladies look beautiful." Eriol complimented and we smiled.

"Thank you." Tomoyo and I answered in unison and giggled at the fact.

We made out way down the stairs and down to the main foyer. Once there, we went through the huge double doors on the left and I gasped softly at the grandeur of the dining room. A beautifully decorated table that easily sat 20 people sat in the middle of the room, while sunlight streamed from the beautiful giant windows that ran on the left wall, all of them half-draped with elegant curtains. The rest of the room was decorated in red and gold, tapestries hung on the walls, I could see a couple paintings as well and a beautiful sword hung magnificently in the middle of the right wall. A giant decorative fireplace sat in the middle of the back wall with two double doors on each side.

I barely made it two steps into the room when I was suddenly engulfed into a crushing hug from two different directions, and heard Tomoyo grunt softly. My guess was that I was attacked by two Li sisters while Tomoyo got the other two.

"KAWAII" I heard four almost identical voices scream while I tried to get my bearings together.

"She can't breathe." Syaoran sighed and pulled me gently from the embrace. I came face to face with four identical women, and I was awestruck by how beautiful they were, all of them resembling Yelan and Syaoran.

"Sakura, Tomoyo, these are my sisters from oldest to youngest: Fanren, Feimei, Fuutie and Shiefa, they're quadruplets so you're not seeing things." Syaoran introduced them, pointing to each in turn. They were all identical, with chocolate-colored hair like Syaoran and piercing dark eyes like Yelan, the only thing that made them different was their hairstyle. Fanren's hair reached her waist, Feimei's was shoulder-length, Fuutie had cropped hair and Shiefa's was tied into two long braids. They all wore identical chinese-style dresses in yellow, blue, red and green respectively; Fanren and Feimei had hugged me first I deduced and Fuutie and Shiefa had attacked Tomoyo.

"Pleasure to meet you." I smiled.

"Pleased to meet you." Tomoyo smiled as well.

They were all quiet for a second before they all exploded.

"KAWAII" they screamed again and went to hug us again, only this time they switched and Fuutie and Shiefa hugged me while Fanren and Feimei went to Tomoyo.

"Girls, settled down now." I heard Yelan say humorously from the doorway and I mentally thanked her. They all stepped back and smiled at us which we returned.

"Sorry, you girls are just so cute!" Feimei complimented us and I could feel my face tingle with pink on my cheeks.

"You have very good taste boys." Sheifa smiled and clung to Eriol's arm.

"Look at them all grown up." Fanren tousled the top of Syaoran's head affectionately and I giggled at the sight.

"Bringing home potential brides." Fuutie laughed took Eriol's other arm.

"Brides?" Tomoyo questioned and the Li sisters giggled.

"We'll talk about that later, now come on let's eat." Yelan announced and we went to sit at the table.

Yelan took her place at the head with Syaoran and I on her right side and Eriol and Tomoyo on the left. Fuutie and Fanran sat next to us and Feimei and Shiefa sat across from them to keep things evenly. Maids burst from both doors on either side of the fireplace and they began to serve dish after dish on the table. We ate and chatted animatedly throughout the entire meal, the Li sisters were really friendly and made us feel like we belonged in no time. It was a pleasant meal and even after we ate, we sat around the table and listened to the sisters tell childhood stories about Syaoran and Eriol.

"Well I actually have to go check on some things for work." Syaoran announced getting up from the table.

"The negotiation documents should be in your email Syao, and if you check the budget spreadsheet everything is in place for the new hotel launching." I rattled off automatically and he chuckled.

"What would I do without you?" He kissed the top of my head and went around the table.

"I'll come with, there's a couple things I need to be put up to date with about the launch." Eriol said and after kissing Tomoyo on the cheek they both left.

"Awww, that has to be the first time I actually see Syaoran smile, let alone chuckle AND be affectionate." Sheifa laughed and her sisters joined, making me blush.

"He does seem to be a lot more relaxed, acting a lot more free." Feimei remarked with a smile.

"He seems a lot more mature as well, I think he'll do just fine when it's time to take over the clan; not that he wasn't before but now he has an extra spark." Fanren spoke fondly.

"Eriol as well, I'm glad they made up and were able to solve their issues. Eriol seems to have grown more affectionate as well, not as enclosed in his mind as he used to be." Sheifa smiled and I saw Tomoyo grow a little pink.

"They have both changed a lot in the past couple months but for the better. Now, Sakura, Tomoyo, this afternoon we'll be having tea in the parlor in my room. There, you're going to meet the ladies of the clan, so, it's a little important of a gathering." Yelan smiled easily.

"There's no need to be nervous though." Sheifa reassured us.

"We'll be there too." Fuutie smiled and I felt comfort knowing they'd be there to help us if anything. I looked across the table at Tomoyo and found her smiling at me, of course there was no better support than my best friend.

"And me too!" A cheerful voice called from the doorway and I immediately shot up from my seat, as did Tomoyo.

"Meiling!" I cried and we rushed over to hug her with a beaming smile.

* * *

- ** _Syaoran's POV-_**

"So, how long until we keep hiding the truth from them?" Eriol asked from his seat across my desk. We were currently in my study/library, while it was true that i need to check some work, I also needed to talk to Eriol alone.

"On christmas we'll tell them the truth about the trip, that's when I plan to confess to Sakura that I love her." I sighed and leaned back on my chair.

"You do know they're going to kill us, right?" Eriol laughed and I chuckled.

"I mean, we couldn't just tell them straight up 'Hey! I know this is sudden but we need you guys to come with us to Hong Kong and meet our ridiculously big family, because we think our relationship is something serious and we need to show the Elders we don't want those English brats but you guys instead?' " I groaned and I heard a low chuckle from Eriol.

"So that's the reason for the trip?" A voice said from the doorway and I looked up in shock.

A/N: Well there you go my little rockstars :3, remember to review and tell me what you think, or any questions. I love you guys! Until next time ;3


	24. Chapter 24

A/N: Hello my little rockstars! Let me start off by thanking you all like always for you amazing and beautiful reviews, they make my heart swell. Also, Happy Valentines day! 3 I wanted this chapter to be my little gift to you all for being so awesome. now, I know I promised some TxE but I left that for net chapter since there was a lot of description and setting taking in this chapter. Anyways! My creative juices are flowing so I may be uploading this weekend :3 Love you all and enjoy! :3

~R&R~

 **~DarkAngel~**

 **P.S** \- Some of you have said this story reminds you of "Wild Things" and I'm truly honored! Wild Things is one of my all time favorite fanfics, so If you haven't already go check it out!

* * *

 ** _-Syaoran's POV-_**

"So that's the reason for the trip?" A voice said from the doorway and I looked up in surprise.

"Ryu! Man, you almost gave me a heart attack!" I laughed in relief and after saying hi to both of us he took a seat next to Eriol.

"I'm sorry, Meiling and I just got here not too long ago, she went to surprise the girls." He smiled easily.

"Oh yes, they didn't know you guys were coming." I smirked and he nodded.

"Yeah, Meiling's Idea, but what was this about bringing the girls here with a different purpose?" He questioned and I sighed.

"You remember those duchesses from before, Emma and Eliza?" Eriol asked.

Ryu nodded once.

"Well, technically, the elders still want us to be engaged to them; So between Auntie Yelan, Syaoran and I, we thought of the idea of bringing Tomoyo and Sakura here to prove how they are more than worthy of being our girlfriends." Eriol explained.

"That's crazy, but you guys really seem to love them to fight for them this much." Ryu smiled.

"Like you aren't falling hard for Meiling?" I teased.

"Actually, I told her I loved her before we boarded the jet." He gave us a toothy smile.

"Well?" Eriol inquired for the both of us.

"She told me she loved me too." His smile got wider if that was possible and we congratulated him.

"That's a big step man, congratulations." Eriol clapped his back.

"You do know If you hurt her we're going to have to kick your ass and leave you in a wheelchair, right?" I said in deadly tone and he nodded.

"Nobody messes with our sister." Eriol adjusted his glasses but his tone was completely from before, it was cold and detached.

"Understood." Ryu said firmly and I broke out a smirk.

"Congrats man." He seemed to visibly relax and we laughed at our antics.

"So, how are you going to show the Elders that Tomoyo-chan and Sakura-chan are 'Worthy'?." He said putting finger quotes around the word Worthy.

"Well, they already passed the first test, which was the press." I said.

"The second test is today, they'll be having tea." Eriol said leaning back on the chair.

"Tea doesn't sound too hard." Ryu said leaning back on his chair as well.

"It's more than that, they'll be having tea with the ladies of the clan. This basically just means they're going to be tested on manners and etiquette and try and get their approval of them. It sounds easy but the ladies of the clan can be a little rough sometimes, and they don't even know they're being tested so they're at a disadvantage." Eriol explained.

"A little rough? The women of the Li clan are downright scary, they were all raised as equals to Li men." I shuddered.

Ryu whistled and shook his head.

"All my luck to the girls then." He laughed.

* * *

- ** _Sakura's POV-_**

Meiling took us on a tour of the Li grounds and I was literally dumbfounded by the size of it all. Aside from the main Li mansion, if you walked behind it there were 7 other mansions as well as a giant Dojo where the Elder council was set up. It was it's own little neighborhood, all roads leading around the Main Li Mansion to the main gates. Meiling explained every mansion belonged to one of the elders of the clan and being that the mansion themselves were huge, most of the time the rest of the family stayed there with them. All of the clan obviously couldn't fit there, and a good majority of them were spread out through the world but the immediate family always stayed within grounds.

She showed us her house and her room, as well as introduced us to her mother. Afterwards, we went back inside the main mansion and we explored part of the bottom floor before we were reminded that we had to drink tea in half an hour. The bottom floor itself had been impressive with top of the line kitchens, an additional but smaller dining room, 3 sitting rooms, a ballroom and a small library.

"What do you wear to drink tea anyways? Can't I just wear this?" I asked as we made our way to Tomoyo's room.

"I already had our outfits brought to Tomoyo's room, I thought you might need a little help." Meiling winked and I smirked at her antics.

"I had some dresses if anything." Tomoyo smiled, always prepared.

We walked into Tomoyo's room and saw the three identical short qipao dresses laying on Tomoyo's bed. One was red with gold designs and threading, another one was violet with purple and the last one was emerald green with dark green.

"These are beautiful!" Tomoyo gasped.

"I bought them for us a while back, I just never had a chance to give to you guys, and this was the perfect opportunity." Mei explained and we began to change. Meiling donned the red one and fix her hair into two buns with gold chopsticks, Tomoyo slipped on the violet one and braided her hair to a loose side braid, and I took the green one and put half my hair up into a messy bun held up by dark green chopsticks. We made our way to Yelan's headquarters and I found the left wing to be set up similarly to the right one except it had a lot more rooms and it took two flights of stairs to reach Yelan's wing.

Unlike our wing, Yelan was the only occupant of the vast space. An amazing parlor stood to the right with couches and chairs, as well as a couple tables and to the left two beautiful double doors stood, which I guessed was Yelan's room. Extra seats could be seen though and appetizing finger foods of all kinds covered the tables.

However the main point of focus were the women in the room. They all looked regal and strong, reminding me very much of Yelan, Meiling and the Li sisters. Ladies of all ages were here, all of them similar style dresses as us. They all had an aura that demanded respect and while I wanted to be my antisocial self, I put on my best smile and got ready to out into practice every tutoring Tomoyo made me go through.

"Ladies, just in time, let me introduce you." Yelan smiled from her seat in the middle of the room and we made our over to her.

Two hours later, Wei informed us dinner would be ready in 15 minutes and we reluctantly started saying our goodbyes. While nervous at first, the women of the Li clan were all very nice ladies. From the older ladies to the girls closer to our age, every single one of them had warmed up wo us with ease. We chatted easily and drank tea as if we knew each other forever. We also told jokes, laughed and the older women even gave us younger girls life advice, which I swore to keep in my back pocket.

We all said our goodbyes and after promising to see each other at the Christmas dinner and ball, Meiling, Tomoyo, Yelan, the Li sisters and I made our way downstairs for dinner. I smiled as I saw Ryu, Eriol and Syaoran waiting for us at the bottom of the stairs, obviously waiting for us.

"Ryu, good to see you." I teased and he smiled.

"Couldn't really let the love of my life travel by herself now, could I?" He gave us a wide grin and I glanced back to see Meiling's face turn a pretty shade of red at his confession.

The Li sisters 'awwwed' at his confession and we all gave him a big smile.

We reached the bottom of the stairs and immediately Syaoran snaked an arm around my waist.

"You look gorgeous my Angel." He whispered into my hair and kissed my cheek.

"Thank you." I whispered back and I could feel my cheeks take on a shade of pink.

"All these couples are making me miss my Ken-kun." Sheifa sighed.

"I know I can't wait to see Maki." Fanren smiled.

"I can't wait to see Lei either." Feimei leaned on her sister.

"It feels like forever since I saw Zian." Fuutie said dreamily.

"And who are these men?" Syaoran asked, a hint of his protective side showing.

"Our boyfriends!" They all said in unison and smiled innocently.

"Boyfriends?" Eriol and Syaoran both questioned together.

"Come on children, dinner is being served." Yelan smiled calmly and started towards the large dining room.

We spent dinner chatting animatedly, as Tomoyo, Meiling and I asked the Li sisters about their boyfriends, while Eriol and Syaoran sulked about it. We were having tea and dessert after dinner when Meiling suddenly shot up from her seat after having read a text message.

"What's wrong Mei?" Ryu asked curiously.

"Come on! We gotta see the news!" Meiling said excitedly and left towards the main living room. A couple seconds later we reacted and followed her to see what the fuss was about. Meiling already had the 88' inch TV on with the news and we all settled on the couches.

"What's going on Meiling?" Syaoran asked but she just shushed him and pointed to the TV.

 **-TV-**

" _And Now for our Headline in Entertainment." An announcer said, and the camera showed two young news anchors._

" _Well Kim, as you know the future heir and leader of the powerful Li Clan, Syaoran Li, and his right hand , Eriol Hiragizawa, are back home for the holidays." The male anchor smiled at his partner._

" _That's right Yon, the pair of handsome young men arrived last night, with the current head of the Li Clan, Yelan Li." She smiled. "But that's not all! They both were accompanied by two beautiful Japanese young ladies."_

" _I think I just heard the heart of every single young lady out there break." He joked lightly and she laughed._

" _That's right, we already had our suspicions on Li-sama being off the market due to a scandal a couple months back, but to find out that certainly those rumors were true and that Hiragizawa-sama is off the market as well, did indeed leave a lot of broken hearts not only in china but in all of Asia." She smiled_

" _Let's take a look at their interviews." Yon smiled._

 _A clip of both Tomoyo and Eriol's interview as well mine with Syaoran rolled and the news anchors were back._

" _Well Kim, both of these young ladies have seem to have captivated not only the hearts of Li-sama and Hiragizawa-sama but of all china as well. Both showed to be beautiful, intelligent, well educated, and lets not forget humorous." Yon smiled._

" _That's right Yon, not only was the press impressed with these young ladies, but it seems these ladies have captured our Li-sama and Hiragizawa-sama's heart and they have no intention to let go." Kim smiled._

" _Oh! Are those wedding bells I hear?" He laughed lightly at his own joke._

" _It's probably too early to tell but we definitely do hope these ladies stick around, we'd hate to have our hearts broken as well, back to you Tai."_

" _Well, we are certainly glad to have Li-sama and Hiragizawa-sama back home!" An older male news anchor_

" _And while there's millions of broken hearts to be nursed, we can't help but notice they both have excellent taste in their women. Besides, look how adorable both couples look!Their outfits are even color coordinated." The older woman said enthusiastically._

" _Now, for the weather." Tai said and they went on to say the weather._

I sat in shock trying to make sense of what I had seen. I looked across the room at Tomoyo, whose expression was similar to mine before I looked at Meiling who had a huge smile plastered on her face.

"Oh My Gosh!" Meiling squealed breaking us out of reverie. "Do you guys know what this means?"

Tomoyo and I looked at each other again before shaking our heads no.

"It means the public has accepted both of you ladies and your relationships with Syaoran and Eriol." Yelan said calmly but a smile played on her lips. "A job well done girls."

"Basically it means that if the public likes you then the Elders will have to take that into account as well, so even if they want to meddle it will be a little harder for them to." Meiling explained.

Tomoyo and I smiled widely at each other and I could feel the hand Syaoran was resting on my thigh give me a thoughtful squeeze.

"I told you there was nothing to worry about." He smirked at me and I nodded.

The rest of the week went by in a blur. We went sightseeing, shopping, Syaoran took me to his favorite restaurant and Tomoyo got to meet a famous Chinese fashion designer through Li corp. We also visited the main Li corp and I was truly amazed by its size and grandeur. We met up with Meiling's mom, had tea a couple more times with the Li ladies, and the closer it got to Christmas the more restless I got because that would be the night we would meet the Elder council. Also, there was the fact everywhere we went, we were treated like celebrities. Paparazzi would always follow us, people would stop us in the street and we would get recognized basically everywhere, which meant we always had to have security when we went out.

Then it was Sunday. Christmas Eve to be exact.

* * *

All 3 of us were in Tomoyo's room, getting ready for the ball. Dinner would be held in the main Li mansion, only the members of the 7 main families would be joining us for dinner, but along with all of us from the main mansion, the dinner consisted of 50 people. After dinner, would be the ball, also held in the Li mansion but this time the whole clan would be present as well as the Elders. Maids and butlers could be heard bustling about, as they had all week. Every single inch of the Li Mansion had been decorated with Christmas spirit and the jolliness of the holiday could be felt in the air.

"Saku, can you help me with my hair? Meiling asked from her spot in front of the vanity.

"Sure, what were you looking to do with it?" I asked coming up behind her.

"Can you do that half up in a messy bun, half down look you do? I want to use these red chopsticks." She smiled and handed me two beautiful ruby encrusted chopsticks.

"Sure." I smiled.

"When you guys are done, it's time to change." Tomoyo smiled as she finished doing her makeup.

We were all in bathrobes, trying to wait until the very last minute to get changed. Both Meiling and I had already done our makeup first; Meiling sporting smokey eyes and bold red lipstick and I, with dark lined-eyes that made the green in my eyes pop and some nude lipstick. Tomoyo had already curled her hair and pinned it up in a beautiful bun, with a few loose tendrils framing her face. I had decided to leave my hair down, and being that it was naturally straight, I just swept up one side and held it back with a gold sakura-flower clip Tomoyo had given me. I slightly curled Meiling's hair, making it wavy and did her hair like she wanted it, her ruby chopsticks shining beautifully.

"Ok, time to get dressed." Mei smiled and we unzipped the dress bags Tomoyo had for us.

I gasped at the beautiful dress in front of me . It was a blush pink dress, with a high-low skirt that came a little above my knees and trailed behind me and a sweetheart corset made up the top. Gold accents decorated the hem of the tail, and light gold ribbons tied the back of the corset. Sparkly gold pumps sat at the bottom of the bag and she had included a gold ribbon choker necklace.

"Tomoyo! You're like my fairy godmother!" I wailed dramatically and she laughed.

"Yeah, mine too!" Meiling cried happily and I noticed she was already dressed in a beautiful floor-length red silk dress. The dress had a slit on the either side, showing off her long legs and the halter-style top had beautiful gold flowers embroidered. Black red-bottom heels could be seen on her feet.

"It's nothing really." Tomoyo giggled and I smiled at how beautiful she looked as wel. Her lilac dress was off the shoulder with a tight top and a chiffon skirt that reached her knees. Gold pumps adorned her feet and a gold necklace shimmered against her skin.

"Ready?" Mei asked.

"Ready." We nodded and after making sure all three of us were perfect we started to make our way downstairs where the guys were waiting. They had to get ready first since both Syaoran and Eriol had to greet the guests as they arrived along with Yelan; Technically Meiling had to as well but Yelan said it was ok if she didn't. I could hear voices chatting animatedly from the floor below and they got louder and louder as we walked closer. Once we were at the top of the stairs though, chatter died and whispers and murmurs took their place.

Everyone's eyes were on us and I suddenly felt the need to turn back around and dash, but I locked eyes with a pair of gorgeous amber eyes and all my worries seemed to melt away. Eriol, Syaoran and Ryu were waiting for us expectantly at the foot of the stairs, all three looking handsome and gorgeous as ever. Eriol was dressed in a navy blue pinstripe suit with a white button down and a lilac tie to match. Ryu was dressed in a black suit with a white button down and a bright red tie. Last but definitely not least, Syaoran looked like an adonis in a grey suit, pale pink shirt and a pale gold tie, his long hair tied back by a matching ribbon.

We descended the stairs and I couldn't help but smile and blush when Syaoran winked at me .

"Ladies." Eriol smiled as we got to the landing of the stairs and stepped up to offer Tomoyo his arm. Ryu followed in suit, and then there was Syaoran and I.

"How do you manage to always take my breath away?" He asked as he offered his arm and I took it.

"The same way you always manage to make my heart skip a beat." I whispered cheekily and kissed his cheek.

"You girls all look so beautiful!" Yelan smiled at the three of us and I blushed.

"As do you Yelan." I smiled. She was dressed in traditional burgundy and gold robes as well as a high sleek ponytail.

"Now, go mingle and have fun." She smiled and we did just that.

"Yes, mother." Syaoran gave a small smile and pulled us away.

"Xiaolang! Eriol! Mei!" A group of 7 guys called excitedly and we made our way to them. They were all gorgeous (a trait that seemed to run in the family) enough to be Calvin Klein models with muscular bodies to match.

"Cousins!" Mei greeted cheerfully and went to hug each of them. Eriol and Syaoran greeted all of them with smiles and claps on their backs.

"Girls, these are our cousins from oldest to youngest: Tao, Jiang Jiayi, Duyi, Niu, Bai and Fang." Meiling introduced pointing to each one in turn.

Tao was 17 with spiky black hair and chocolate eyes, then there was the 19 year-old twins Jiang and Jianyi with light brown hair that reached the top of their shoulders and hazel eyes. Duyi was 19 as well with a buzz cut and killer ruby eyes that matched his 20 year-old brother's Niu, Niu however had short black hair. 20 year-old Bai had blonde hair and blue eyes since his father was a Li but his mother was french. Fang was the oldest at 21 with long black hair like Syaoran and piercing silver eyes. They smiled at us kindly and Tomoyo and I smiled back in greeting.

"These are the cousins we grew up with, the ones I told you about." Syaoran explained and I nodded.

"You girls are Ms. Kinomoto and Ms. Daidoji, right?" Bai asked politely.

"Sakura is fine." I said nodding.

"Tomoyo is fine as well." Tomoyo added smiling.

"Well bro, I might have to fly out to Japan myself to find a girlfriend like you guys." Tao joked.

"Trust me you won't be able to find anyone like Sakura." Syaoran pulled me closer by the waist.

"Or Tomoyo, for that matter." Eriol smiled like a cheshire cat and kissed Tomoyo's temple.

"You guys are definitely whipped." Niu jabbed and Meiling hit the back of his head.

"Watch it! They're practically my sisters." She warned.

"Which reminds us, who are you?" The twins asked in unison pointing at Ryu.

"Ryuji Hitoma, but Ryu is ok." He said firmly and extended his hand for each of them to shake. They stared him down, but Ryu stood his ground making Meiling smile triumphantly.

"You got guts, kid." Fang smiled wolfishly.

"I like him." Duyi smiled.

"What else would expect from someone Meiling picked?" Tao shrugged and we laughed.

The Li cousins turned out to be a riot and had more than one embarrassing childhood story in their back pockets. Fang was in the middle of telling a funny story when a sudden squeal interrupted us.

"KAWAII" Four identical voices called.

We turned to see the four Li sisters dressed beautifully in matching long qipao dresses. Fanren's was yellow, Feimei wore blue, Fuutie's was red and Sheifa's was green, all of them wore their hair down with a matching flower clip.

"You guys look amazing!." I smiled genuinely at them.

"Thank you, so do you girls." Fanren smiled. "Oh let me introduce you, this is Maki." A tall young man dressed in a suit with a yellow tie stepped forward. He had beautiful light brown eyes and matching hair.

"This is Lei." Feimei pointed at the handsome man next to her as well, he had ocean blue eyes that matched his tie and jet black hair.

"This is Zian." Fuutie smiled and he stepped up with dark brown eyes and brown hair, his tie matching Fuutie's dress.

"And this is Ken." Sheifa said excitedly and the tall green-eyed, light brown haired young man smiled down at her affectionately, his green tie matching Sheifa's dress perfectly.

One thing was for sure, the Li sisters had amazing taste because all 4 of their boyfriends looked heaven sent. They shook hands with each of us and we introduced ourselves before stopping at Syaoran who had yet to offer his hand.

"You all know who I am, right?" He asked in a cold tone that reminded me of his 'Bad Boy" days and stepped forward letting go of me.

"Yes." They all said in unison.

"Then it should serve as a warning that if ANY of you try and break my sister's hearts, I will make it my life mission to make your lives a personal hell. Am I clear?" He glared.

"Y-Yes." They all responded in unison again.

"Good." He scowled

"Stop it Syao, play nice." I gently tugged his jacket.

He dropped his scowl and went back to my side, planting a kiss on my hair and smirking down at me.

"A-Anyways! Where did you guys get your dresses?" Tomoyo asked breaking the tension and soon we were all chatting and joking again. We talked and mingled for about an hour before dinner was announced. There were so many names and faces, I really hoped I could remember them by the end of the night. Dinner went by smoothly, the Li sister's boyfriend's really hit it off with the Li cousins and it was cute to see Syaoran act brotherly and protective towards them. Everyone was chatting and having a good time, and the feast that was served was delicious as well. We were all enjoying ourselves and soon enough it was time for the ball.

"I'm nervous." I whispered at Syaoran as we made our way from the dining room to the ballroom.

"About the Elders?" He asked and I nodded.

"What if they don't like me?" I asked worriedly.

"Sakura, in case you haven't noticed you already charmed all of the family members you've met, AND the Li ladies of the clan. I'm confident you'll charm them too." He smirked and kissed my temple.

"I don't charm people." I pouted.

"You do it naturally Saku." Meiling laughed from my left and I felt myself blush lightly.

We entered the ballroom and I was amazed by the beauty of it all, literally feeling like a princess in a fairy tail. High chandeliers illuminated the floor, a small orchestra in the corner filled the room with music, mini desserts and champagne were being passed around by waiters and Christmas decorations filled the room with holiday cheer.

"It's beautiful." I whispered.

"Mother really loves the holidays." I heard Syaoran chuckle.

We had just made our way to the front of the room when side doors slammed open. 7 older men all in identical brown traditional robes walked in with an air of authority and I suddenly knew who they were.

The Li Clan Elders.

* * *

A/N: Welp, there you go guys! Next chapter might be a little long so you're all warned, because aside of the plot I will be throwing in a special TxE scene! Anyways, love you all my rockstar, remember to review/comment/ ask questions. Until next time ;3 3


	25. Chapter 25

A/N: Hey my awesome rockstars! I bet you weren't expecting to hear from me so soon, but after an unexpectedly good Valentines night, a day off and my creative juices flowing I had this chapter done and I couldn't wait to share it! someone asked how long the fic will be and Im guessing to have more 5-6 more chapters. I Do want to write an epilogue and maybe a little something-something afterwards. Anyways! Love you guys and thank you so much for your amazing and awesome reviews! Till next time :3

 **~R &R~**

 **~DarkAngel~**

* * *

 ** _-Sakura's POV-_**

The Li Clan elders.

I couldn't help but stand a little straighter at the sight of them. They all had an air of authority and respect that demanded your attention. Their long grey hair was tied back in a ponytail similar to Syaoran's and they all wore a pendant with the Yin-Yang symbol. 7 Identical robes glided towards us and everyone's eyes followed their movements before they came to a stop right in front of us.

"Elders of the Li Clan, always a pleasure." Yelan bowed in respect, her voice resonating throughout the room.

We all followed in suit and bowed, I could feel Syaoran's muscles tense a little under his jacket.

"Xiao-lang, Eriol, it's seems you've returned home." The Elder in the middle spoke out. He had clear grey eyes and I immediately knew he was related to Fang.

"It's good to be home Elder Chu." Syaoran responded in a strong yet calm voice.

"And who might these ladies be?" The Elder to his right spoke, his chocolate eyes scrutinizing.

"Elder Tao, this is my girlfriend Sakura Kinomoto." Syaoran introduced and I bowed respectfully.

"And this is my girlfriend Tomoyo Daidoji." Eriol introduced her as well and she bowed.

"Ah yes, the one who made that scandal a couple months ago, right?" An Elder with ruby eyes asked smugly pointing at me.

"Elder Chong, she didn't make a scandal, someone else was trying to sabotage and harm us." Syaoran explained, his voice strained trying to contain his anger, subconsciously holding me a little tighter.

"How convenient, no? A scandal breaks out about the two of you, she ends up living with you, becoming your assistant and eventually capturing your heart. Wouldn't you say that's a little too coincidental?" He narrowed his eyes accusingly at me and I felt Syaoran tense up, ready to burst.

"With all due respect Elder Chong, I'm not the type of woman to chase after someone just because of their money or their looks. Xiao-lang and I have been attending school together since he first transferred to Tomoeda, if I was really after his money and prestige I think I would have acted a lot sooner.

"Also, Xiao-lang is someone very dear to me, even if he were to lose it all today I would stay by his side no matter what. I know my words may not be sufficient to convince you of it but I can assure you Xiao-lang is my most important person and I would go through great lengths for him. Yelan graciously took me into their home due to some circumstances, but I can assure you I always make sure to pay it back by working as Xiao-lang's assistant." I spoke in a calm voice.

"I can attest to that, since living with us Sakura only takes half of what her check should be. She insisted that she couldn't live at our home for free." Yelan interrupted.

"I apologize if I am being rude, however Xiao-lang is someone irreplaceable for me and I'd hate for anyone to get the wrong idea of my feelings for him." I finished and blushed as Syaoran kissed my hair.

"Well Sakura, it seems you have a very strong character and a lot of courage to be able to stand up for yourself in that manner." Elder Chu smiled. "That being said, I think I can speak for the council when I say we approve of your relationship with Xiao-lang and will not force the engagement with the Duchess."

"What about us?" Eriol asked.

"Well, to be frank we already approved of since we first found out about her. She has proved to be an excellent young heiress throughout time, very well spoken, intelligent, beautiful, well mannered, these were things that came to surface when we looked into her background. She's been in the spotlight since young so it was easier to find out about her." Elder Tao spoke calmly.

"Quite frankly we were actually thinking of having you be engaged to her anyways, but Ms. Sonomi Daidouji is a tough nut to crack and refused for her daughter to have an arranged marriage." Elder Chu chuckled.

"That sounds like my mother." Tomoyo giggled and I could practically see the happiness shining in her eyes.

"We were merely putting you to the test." Elder Chong smirked.

"Which by the way, you ladies passed all 3 of them." An Elder with kind light brown eyes stepped up.

"What do you mean 3, Elder Ko?" Meiling asked.

"Syaoran and Eriol may think we didn't know, but we knew that bringing the girls here wasn't merely just for fun. They wanted to show us how the girls could strive under the pressure of 1. The press, 2. The ladies of the clan and 3. Us, the elders." Elder Ko counted off and I looked up at Syaoran in surprise who looked guilty and gave me an apologetic smile.

"Guys! Why didn't you tell me?" Meiling pouted at Eriol and Syaoran.

"You would have told the girls Mei." Eriol explained. "They couldn't know they were being tested."

"And, they were nervous enough as it was, we didn't want to make it worse. Plus, we needed it to be genuine and we knew they'd be ok." Syaoran snaked his arm around my waist once more.

"Well done girls." Yelan smiled. "A toast! To the blooming relationships of the Xiao-lang and Eriol."

Glasses of champagne were passed around and we clinked our glasses in cheer.

"Enough talk now, let's enjoy this party!" Elder Chu cried out and everyone clapped and cheered.

I hugged Syaoran as tightly as I could and he picked me up and spun me around.

"You have no idea what this means." He whispered into my ear.

"Congratulations Sakura!" The Li sister's came around and congratulated us as well as the Li cousins and Yelan, you'd think we were getting engaged by how they were acting. Tomoyo and I hugged in relief that we could finally be with our loved ones without a worry and Meiling joined a little after crying about how much she loved us like her sisters.

"Will it be like this for me too?" Ryu asked a little while after. The Li sisters had gone off with their boyfriends, and the Li cousins had left to find their dates which left Tomoyo, Eriol, Ryu, Mei, Syaoran and I standing by one of the windows chatting.

"No, as long as Syaoran and I accept you as well as our cousins there should be no issue in the future." Eriol smiled.

"Oh Thank the Gods!" Ryu cried dramatically. "I don't know how you girls did it but I can't even begin to imagine."

"Hey!" Meiling pouted.

"Don't get me wrong Mei-chan, I'd go through hell and back for you but the Elders scare me." He laughed awkwardly.

"Only our very own Sakura-chan would stand up to them." Tomoyo giggled and I blushed.

"That's my girl." Syaoran smirked and kissed my cheek.

"Sakura! Tomoyo! Come there's someone you must meet!" An elderly woman I knew as Tata came by our group. "Gentlemen I will be borrowing these ladies, Meiling you come as well, your auntie Chi wants to say Hi, and just like that we were dragged away.

* * *

 ** _-Syaoran's POV-_**

I watched at Sakura walked away with my great auntie and I couldn't help but smile at the sight.

"Man, they're really something." I commented to Eriol who nodded.

"And to think it's been such a short time." Eriol shook his head.

" I know? It's crazy really, but if things keep going the way they have so far, in 3 years I see myself getting down in one knee for that one." I smirked and watched across the floor as Sakura chatted with my great aunties.

"My man Xiao! Your girl has spunk." Fang appeared out of nowhere.

"She really does though, I never thought I'd see the day where someone stood up to Elder Chong." Duyi laughed.

"Like don't get me wrong, he's our Head Elder but he can be a little bit of an A-hole every now and then." Niu joked.

"That's my girl." I smirked.

"Man, you're totally smitten Xiao! Never thought I'd see the day, especially after your whole "Bad Boy" business and seducing days." Bai joked making the cousins laugh.

"Don't burn him too bad guys." Eriol came to my defense but he was smiling as well.

"Oh you're not too far behind Eri! We've heard you and Tomoyo have actually been dating since before Xiaolang and Sakura so you're not too far behind." Tao jabbed and now it was my turn to laugh.

"Not so fun now, Eriol?" I teased and he glared at me.

We chatted for a while more before the band began to play the first waltz of the night and everyone began to pair up.

Eriol, Ryu and I immediately made our way to find the girls.

"Excuse me Auntie, I'll be borrowing her for a little bit." I smiled and snaked my arm around her waist, steering her into the middle of the dance floor.

"Oh, young love." I hear one of them say before they all giggled.

I glanced to the side as Eriol and Ryu pulled Tomoyo and Meiling into the dance floor as well. I placed a hand on the small of her back as she rested a hand on my shoulder and I began to lead her into a slow waltz.

"Hi." I whispered as I looked into her eyes.

"Hey." She whispered back with a smile.

"So are you one of those chicks that like to play hard to get because they think they are better than everyone?" I smirked quoting our first encounter.

"Why would you think that? Because I'm not swooned away by the popular Syaoran Li?" She retorted, a smirk playing on her lips.

"So she speaks." I chuckled softly and pulled her a little closer. "And makes tough bad boys smile."

"As long as that smile is reserved for me I don't mind." She smiled and I twirled her around making her laugh. I could listen to her laugh for days end.

* * *

 ** _-Tomoyo's POV-_**

I watched with a small smile as Syaoran twirled Sakura around and she laughed. The relationship between those two wasn't a regular one, their bond went beyond normal in the short amount of time they had been together.

"I'm so happy they're together." I whispered at Eriol who regarded me with kind eyes and a small smile.

"Indeed their connection is awe worthy but then again so is ours." He whispered and I blushed.

"I love you Eriol." I smiled.

"I love you too Tomoyo, and I just wanted to thank you."

"Thank me? For what?" I asked confused.

"Let's go somewhere else, I have to tell you something." He smiled and we glided to the edge of the dance floor before we stopped dancing and made our way out to the balcony.

We stepped out and I immediately welcomed the fresh breeze of the night.

"Tomoyo, I wanted to thank you for everything. You didn't have to put up with any of this and yet you did. I know you figured out you were being tested, I can tell." He smiled and I choked out a laugh of disbelief, nothing seemed to get past him.

"You caught me, I knew from the beginning what you and Syaoran were up to." I admitted looking guilty.

"It's ok, I'm not upset but I still want to thank you for putting up with it, it means a lot to me Tomoyo." He smiled before he pulling me in for a kiss. My whole body felt as if it was going to melt and I snaked my arms around his neck to steady myself. What started out as something sweet and tender led into something hungrier and wild. We pulled back to breathe before he pulled something out of his coat pocket.

"Merry Christmas my love." He smiled gentle and gave me a velvet box. I opened it and gasped at the beauty inside. A thin silver silver chain with a heart-shaped sapphire and a smaller heart shaped amethyst waited inside and a matching ring.

"Oh Eriol, they're beautiful." I gasped, tears threatening to spill.

"You must know something though." He said taking the ring. "This isn't an ordinary ring, it's a promise ring, and with it I promise to one day replace it with the real deal."

"Oh Eriol!" I cried And hugged him tightly.

"Don't cry love." He smiled once we pulled apart and wiped my tears with the back of his hand.

"I'm sorry, I'm just really happy." I giggled and he slid the ring onto the ring finger on my left hand.

"I'll take the necklace and keep it in my pocket until tonight, I wanted to give you the ring more than anything." He chuckled and I have him back the velvet box.

"Oh Eriol about your Christmas present, It's going to have to wait until later tonight." I smiled shyly but I couldn't help but feel the small blush that crept up on my cheeks.

"Are you ok sweetie?" He asked tilting my chin up.

"Yes, it's just...ummm…. for Christmas….. I wanted…ummm…. us to...ummm...spendthenighttogether." I rushed the last part and covered my face quickly.

"What?" Eriol asked in a tone of astonishment. I peeked from in between my fingers and saw his eyes wide in surprise.

"Y-y-you don't h-h-ave to, i-i-if you don't w-w-want to." I stammered quickly and turned around embarrassed.

"Of course I want to my love, I just wanted you to be sure of doing something so special with me." He hugged me from behind and kissed my hair, making me relax into his arms.

"I couldn't think of a more special Christmas present and I don't see myself with anyone else anymore. When I think of my future all I see is you, when I think of my prince charming all I see is you too." I confessed softly and he hugged me tighter.

"I'm honored you think of me that way because I as well see myself with only Tomoyo in the future. I love you and only you and I wouldn't want anyone else to be by my side." He whispered into my ear and whipped me around before kissing me gently.

"I love you." I murmured between our kisses.

"And I love you." He murmured back.

We stayed that way for a while before we decided to go back inside. I smiled as I watched Syaoran and Sakura waltz around the dance floor, both of them lost in their own world before Eriol pulled my hand, lead me to dance floor and we lost in ours as well.

* * *

 _ **-Sakura's POV-**_

I felt like a princess in a fairy tale, handsome prince and beautiful ball included. Syaoran and I laughed and talked as we glided on the dance floor. He was twirling me, dipping me and at one point picked me up by the waist and spun me around. I saw Eriol and Tomoyo rejoin the dance floor and by the look of Tomoyo's face I could tell she was elated by whatever it was that they had been talking about.

The music drifted to a slow, until it faded out completely. We stood in the middle of the floor and clapped along with the guests. We walked away towards the edge of the dance floor along with everyone else and made our way to the Windows once more.

"That was so much fun! I felt like a princess." I beamed up at Syaoran who chuckled.

"I'm glad my cherry blossom, you ARE a princess though." He gave one of his rare full smiles and my insides melted.

"I think this is the first time I've enjoyed myself so much at one of these functions." Eriol commented with Syaoran and Meiling nodded in agreement.

"Definitely one for the books." Meiling smiled. "Which reminds me, we need to take some pictures!"

We all took turns taking pictures with each other phones and I was glad to have so many memories of this night. We went over to Yelan and took pictures with her as well as with the Li sisters and the Li cousins. We were having so much fun taking pictures, making jokes and dancing, that before we knew it, it was almost midnight.

"It's almost Christmas guys!" Meiling smiled and Ryu pulled her close to kiss her temple.

"Now, for the Christmas Waltz!" Yelan announced and she stepped on the floor accompanied by Elder Fang. "We ask you that you please join on us on the dance floor for our traditional Christmas Waltz."

One by one couple started to fill the dance floor and I saw Syaoran extend his hand towards me.

"May I have this dance, my dear hime-sama?" He asked with a flourish.

"Absolutely, my handsome prince." I curtsied giggling before taking his hand and heading towards the dance floor. A soft melody filled the air and soon we were gliding along to the music.

"Sakura." Syaoran said my name in such a gentle tone I looked up immediately.

"Yes?" I asked curiously.

"There's something you should know." He said pulling me closer and whispering in my ear.

"What is it?" I whispered back.

"Sakura, ever since you came into my life, my life has been turned upside down and I don't care how corny that sounds. You've helped me stand up for myself and pull myself from the darkness I surrounded in. You're not only the most amazing girlfriend in the world, you are also my best friend and right hand, don't tell Eriol I said that though."

I giggled at his last comment.

"But seriously Sakura." We stopped swaying and stood still in the middle of the floor while couple went round and round around us.

"I love you." He whispered and my eyes widened at those three little words.

"Merry Christmas!" Everyone cheered two seconds after.

Then the lights went out.

Everything happened so fast, I didn't have a chance to breathe. As soon as the lights went out someone grabbed my waist and covered my mouth from behind, dragging me backwards with them. I tried to get a hold of Syaoran but my aggressor was dragging me in the direction of the balcony quickly.

"Sakura!" I heard Syaoran call my name.

I panicked and elbowed him, earning a grunt but he held onto me strongly. I struggled to call for help but my muffled cries were drowned by the panicked screams of the guests. I tried to headbutt my attacker but he seemed to have predicted it and dodged. We were at the balcony now and I struggled some more, making my hair pin fall but I didn't care at that point.

"Be a good girl now." A rough voice whispered into my ear and I felt my stomach churn with vile. He switched hands in a swift motion, covering my mouth and nose with a white damp cloth,and after two whiffs , I was spiraling into darkness.

* * *

 _ **-Syaoran's POV-**_

"I love you." I whispered and her eyes widened at those three little words.

"Merry Christmas!" Everyone cheered two seconds after.

Then the lights went out.

I reached out for Sakura but was met with empty air, and I panicked a little.

"Sakura!" I called out for her but with all the noise, it seemed to drown in the crowd.

I panicked and looked around in dark, trying to get my eyes to adjust to the darkness. I looked for anything and pushed my way around to see If I could spot anything.

Then just like that, the lights turned on once again.

I did a 360 spin in a controlled panic, my exterior hard and cold but my brain frantically looked for a glimpse of auburn hair or a pink dress.

"Syaoran! Syaoran! Are you ok?" Meiling asked frantically. Ryu, Tomoyo and Eriol in tow.

"Sakura." I barely whispered.

"What?" Eriol stepped up.

"Sakura… I can't find Sakura." I repeated, my voice louder yet also firmer.

"What do you mean?" Tomoyo asked going into a frantic state.

"I was with her when the lights went out but as soon as I went to grab her she was gone." My eyes still searching for her.

"She couldn't have gotten far! If anything she would have reached for you, she hates the darkness!" Tomoyo cried, almost in the verge of tears.

Tomoyo and Meiling kept talking hysterically when I spotted something gold shining on the balcony floor. My body went cold and I rushed towards it, the guys following close behind before I picked it up and held it in my hand.

"That's Sakura's hairpin." Tomoyo whispered before choking a sob.

"She's gone!" Meiling cried.

"No, someone took her, and I will make sure to get her back." I whispered darkly, holding the hairpin in my hand as if it was my lifeline.

* * *

A/N: There you go my lovelies! I hope you dont hate me too much for the little cliffhanger? But please dont forget to comment/review/ask questions. I really love all of them and I hope to be updating again soon. :3 Love you all :3


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N:** Hello my lovely readers! I just want to start off by saying thank you for following along this far and for all your amazing reviews! They literally swell up my heart. Someone did ask why Syaoran would wait 3 years to propose, and honestly I think it suits the SxS in this story. They developed a friendship first before dating and right now even dating they're taking their time, so I wanted to show that. Also, it's a little more realistically, most people don't meet someone and propose in less than half a year. But anyways! :3 I love you all my little rockstars and in case no one has told one of you guys today, just know you are awesome! Enjoy! :3

 **~R &R~**

 **~DarkAngel~**

 ***PS*** I will be changing the POV a couple times this chapter, so please have patience with me :3 Just a little heads up!.

* * *

 _ **-Sakura's POV-**_

My head was pounding and my body felt like lead. I tried to open my eyes but found my eyelids to be too heavy for me to lift, so I settled for listening for anything.

I had been kidnapped.

That much was obvious, but I couldn't think of single reason why someone would kidnap me or why. I couldn't cry or panic, I had to keep my cool and try to get out of this situation. I could smell the sea in the air and hear the waves crashing faintly, so we were definitely by the bay. Judging by the hard, cold concrete floor under me I was guessing to be in some type of warehouse, and I tried to sneak a peek to confirm my suspicions.

I cracked an eye open cautiously, just in case someone else was in the room, I didn't want them knowing I was conscious yet. I sneaked a peek and after a careful sweep I saw I was indeed in a warehouse but also I was alone. I opened my eyes completely and tried to assess my situation. I was lying on the floor, my hands bound behind me, my feet bound as well and my mouth covered with duct tape.

I struggled into a sitting position and looked around me, nothing but wooden crates of all sizes as well as some tanks along the wall, occupied the room. A pair of metal double doors stood closed across the enormous room and a large high window helped to let in some light from the moon and the street into the room. I felt something vibrate in my chest and I almost cried in happiness for having kept my phone inside my bra to not have to carry a purse at the ball. Thankfully my breast were big enough that the phone held in place and my kidnappers didn't notice it either.

I heard a sound outside the door and immediately went back to my original position and pretended to be asleep.

"Hey! She's not awake yet!" I heard a gruff voice yell from the doorway.

Soon after I heard two pairs of footsteps approaching me.

"She should be up soon enough, and then we'll have some fun." Another male voice sniggered but his voice was a little nasal.

"To think we were hired by two english brats for this job." The first one chuckled.

"At least they pay well, too bad we couldn't snatch the other one, they're gonna be pissed!" Nasal guy said angrily.

"Well one is better than nothing, but this one is more valuable, she's Li's bitch." Gruff voice kicked me gently.

"Come on, we gotta get things together, we're moving in 2 hours and we're going live 30 minutes." Nasal guy called and both pairs of steps started to fade until I heard the clank of the door close and the footsteps disappear completely.

I immediately sat up and tried to think of something quick, if they moved me out of China I was done. I laid back down and tucked my knees up to my chest as much as I could and thanks to my flexibility, I was able to bring my arms under and in front of me. I ripped off the tape and used my teeth to undo the knot on my hands. After a couple minutes of struggle I was free and I untied my feet as well. I quickly took my phone out of my bra and began to formulate a plan. I couldn't talk, otherwise they'd hear me, I also didn't know If they had cameras hidden and how long I had until they found me out.

I turned on my location services and sent my location to Syaoran's phone, hoping he would he get the hint. Sending a text message might be risky, If I sent one and got a reply and my phone went off or vibrated, they'd found out and I'd be done for. Couldn't really call 911, in case the Li's didn't want this to be a scandal, which I was pretty sure they didn't. I turned off all notifications and stuffed my phone back in my bra, for now its only use would be a tracking device on me.

I explored the warehouse looking for anything I could use but the crates were empty, each one I checked giving me less and less hope. The window was too high for me to reach and the door was out of the question. I silently gave an apology to Tomoyo and ripped the tail off of my dress, making it knee length all around and keeping the tail for future use. I went back to the spot I had first woken up and sat down, deliberating my options. I was pretty sure 30 minutes had already passed since I sent my location to Syaoran and I started to get antsy, just then the doors burst open without a warning. Crap. Caught.

"Well,well, well, looks like sleeping beauty finally woke up and even untied herself." Nasal guy said and I was able to match a face to a voice. He had greasy ginger hair with a matching goatee and dark brown eyes.

I stayed in silence, my head held up high, If they thought I was going to cry or beg they were wrong. I might not be rich or have a surname like Li but I had my dignity and I wouldn't give them the satisfaction.

"Why so quiet girlie?" The gruff voice asked and he was exactly how I had imagined; tall, so muscular he couldn't put his arms down fully and bald. He seemed to be setting something up right in front of me. 5 guys strolled in, all dirty and looking like thugs, they all smiled evilly at me and seemed to undress me with their eyes.

I said nothing and glared at them instead.

"That's a scary face you're making there." Nasal guy mocked and the rest of the guys laughed lightly.

"Camera's all set, boss." Gruff said and I saw a camera set up on a stand, its red light on signaling it was recording.

"Let's have some fun." He smiled evilly, his yellow teeth showing and making my stomach hurl.

* * *

 _ **-Syaoran's POV-**_

I sat in my office staring at the phone on my desk. After Sakura's kidnapping everything happened in a blur.

 ** _*Flashback*_**

" _That's Sakura's hairpin." Tomoyo whispered before choking a sob._

" _She's gone!" Meiling cried._

" _No, someone took her, and I will make sure to get her back." I whispered darkly, holding the hairpin in my hand as if it was my lifeline._

" _Eriol, go check with security what the hell happened, Meiling, you and Ryu go inform what happened to the Elders, Tomoyo, I know this is hard but I need you to tell my mother what happened as well." I gave orders, the gears in my brain turning. "After you guys are done, meet me at my office."_

 _I looked back to see everyone nod and go off in different directions. I stood there stoically, trying to process what had just happened and how I had just lost the love of my life, seconds after telling her I loved her. I didn't have anytime to waste and started making my way to my office. People kept trying to stop me to ask what was wrong but I ignored them and kept my brisk pace, some didn't even bother after seeing the coldness in my face. I was beyond pissed, and they could see it._

 _The first thing I did was punch a hole in the wall next to the door. I needed to calm down before I did something rash but it was hard to not do anything when they were doing who knows what to Sakura. I was close to punching a hole through my computer monitor when Eriol barged in._

" _It was the duchesses." He informed. " I checked with security but everything was fine, so I looked into the staff that was serving tonight and only saw one name I hadn't seen before. Looks like he started about a week ago but was able to get the job through a good reference from a family in England, the Braxton family to be exact."_

 _He dropped a manila folder on my desk._

" _This is the guy who took her, he had a van from the kitchen waiting in stand by and that's how he made his getaway."_

 _I looked at the file and was greeted with the picture of a man in his late 20's with ginger hair and a matching goatee. I turned to the computer and searched through the security cameras and indeed there was someone dressed like a waiter near Sakura and I right before the lights went out. I switched the view to the kitchen back entrance, and there was a delivery van on wait before the lights went out, after the lights switched back on you could see Sakura being stuffed to the back of the van before the guy who had taken her shot the camera dead._

" _Those damn bitches." I muttered darkly and Meiling, Ryu and Tomoyo stepped in at that moment._

" _The Elders gave the Ok to use any means necessary to find Sakura." Meiling announced her eyes red and Ryu by her side._

" _Your mom is handling the guests." Tomoyo sniffed and immediately Eriol walked over to her and hugged her._

" _It was Eliza and Emma." I said through gritted teeth and the girls looked ready to kill._

" _OH THOSE DUMB BLONDES ARE GOING TO WISH THEY WERE DEAD ONCE I'M DONE WITH TH-" Meiling started to yell but was interrupted by the sound of my desk phone ringing._

 _I glanced at the screen and saw it was a private number._

" _It's them." I answered the call and immediately put it on speaker._

" _Syaoran, sweetie, how are you?" Eliza's shrill voice seemed to boom in the large office._

" _Cut the bullshit Eliza, where is she?" I asked, my voice low yet deadly._

" _I don't know what you're talking about Syao-kun." She said with a sickening sweet voice._

" _Eliza, I don't have the patience right now to deal with you, now tell me where she is before I send you to hell myself." I demanded, running out of patience._

" _Oh you mean your little girl toy? She's being cared for." Her voice turning from sweet to evil._

" _I swear you touch a single hair on her head and you'll-" I started but she interrupted with a shrill laugh._

" _You'll do nothing, because as long as I have her your hands are tied. Honestly speaking you're lucky only one girl was takenwe were planning to take the other one that's always hanging with Eriol, but she was too close to Eriol for them to take. Now listen to me clearly, in about an hour you're going to get the link to a video, and a phone call with further instructions. Bye-bye my darling." She hung up._

" _That bitch!" Tomoyo yelled and we were all surprised at her outburst, it was rare afterall to see Tomoyo lose her cool._

 _*End Flashback*_

Now we were all sitting around my computer, waiting for the call and video with only 30 minutes to go but it seemed like an eternity.

My phone went off with Sakura's text tone and I looked at it in confusion. I opened the message and saw Sakura had sent me her location and had kept her location share on, damn the girl was smart and I loved her for it.

"Who is it Syaoran?" Meiling asked once she saw my face.

"Sakura just sent me her location." I said in disbelief.

"She what? How?" Eriol asked standing up.

"Oh! I just remembered! She didn't want to carry a purse so she stored her phone in her bra." Tomoyo gasped.

"Eriol, gather the cousins we have a mission to go on." I said darkly.

"What about us?" Meiling asked.

" You, Tomoyo and Ryu will stay here along with Tao. I need you guys to be here when they call and so you can send me the link to the video to my cell." I explained. "Ryu, I'm leaving the safety of the girls to you."

"Understood." He nodded seriously.

"What's up cousin? We already heard about Sakura" Duyi asked as soon as they stepped in the office.

"Sakura sent me her location without the knowledge of her kidnappers so we're going to go get her, you guys up for a mission?" I asked and they all nodded.

"Let's go suit up, I'll have have the van ready, we leave in 5." Eriol directed and they all started to make their way to the Dojo.

"Tao, you're staying here." I called and he turned around with a pout.

"Come on! I never get to go on missions!" He whined being the youngest.

"I need you to stay here and impersonate my voice when they call back, I know you can do it. Also once they send you the link to the video send it to my cell phone immediately." I ordered and he seemed happier to have an actual job.

"You got it Xiao." He said in a voice almost identical to mine and I smirked.

"You guys take care." I said to Ryu, Tomoyo and Meiling.

"Syaoran!" Tomoyo called.

I turned around wordlessly.

"Please bring her back." She asked with tears in her eyes.

"I promise you I will." I nodded and she smiled..

"And you" she directed her attention to Eriol who was waiting by the door for me. "Please be safe and come back to me in one piece."

"Of course my love." He kissed her soundly and they hugged for a little before she nodded and we left to the Dojo.

My cousins were already suited up in black cargo pants, black muscle shirts, bulletproof vests, black combat boots and black jackets. Eriol and I lost no time and changed into our gear as well before grabbing our weapons. While we were trained mainly in martial arts and sword fighting, we also knew how to handle guns and other weapons. I grabbed a small pistol and strapped it to my ankle, took two more guns and put them on my belt holsters, one tucked in my waist band and two more in the holster of my jacket. I grabbed my earpiece and met up with the guys who were all ready.

"Let's move out." I called and we left towards the van in a hurry, only 20 minutes until the video came on and I had a feeling I wouldn't like it at all.

We drove in silence, each of us lost in our thoughts. Sakura was at the Hong Kong bay, at one of the abandoned warehouses near the pier. Thankfully the place wasn't too far and we'd be getting there in 25 minutes. It was 5 more minutes than I wanted but Bai was already driving like a maniac in the busy streets of Hong Kong.

"What you got Eriol?" I asked from the back of the van, Eriol was sitting on the passenger side with a laptop in hand.

"I have the blueprints of the warehouse, there's around 3 storage rooms, one where I'm guessing they're keeping Sakura and an office in the front. These guys though, they're dangerous we have to be stealthy or else they will have no hesitation on killing Sakura. Apparently they're on the most wanted by the interpol, theft, murder, kidnapping, you name it they've done it." He explained.

"So, what's the plan?" I asked.

"I already activated your earpieces and the body cameras on your vests, I'll be able to direct you through them. Bai is going to stay here with me, we're going to need a fast getaway and I'm going to be god's eye. Niu is going to take the storage on the right, Duyi the one in the middle and Fang and you are going to take the farthest one, which is on the left, that's where I'm guessing they have Sakura. Jian, Jianyi, you two are going to sneak into the office and make sure these 4 four don't get discovered. All four of you are going to be infiltrating through the roof, there's a system of catwalks that all interconnect, that's our safest bet." Eriol explained and we nodded.

"5 minutes." Bai called and in cue I got a text message from Tao. I sent the link to Eriol to record and the rest of the guys crowded around me to watch. I clicked on the link and saw some sort of live video feed, it was dark at first until a gruff voice called that the camera was all set and I saw Sakura sitting on the floor of a warehouse. She was sitting up straight, glaring at the men behind the camera, the moonlight casting a spotlight on her, making her look like a fallen angel.

"Let's have some fun." A nasal voice said with malice and I saw the same guy with ginger hair approach her.

"You see sweetie, your boyfriend is currently watching helplessly from a computer screen as we make you cry and beg for your life." He smacked Sakura's face loudly and my fist automatically clenched.

"That bastard" I muttered darkly.

Sakura however remained quiet, not even a grunt escaped her.

"You hit like a bitch." I heard Sakura mutter and the guy smacked her again, a trickle of blood escaping the corner of her lips.

"What was that?" he asked in fury but Sakura merely glared at him again.

"I said you hit like a bitch!." She yelled spitting her blood at his face and ginger punched her this time, her whole face snapping to the side.

"What about now?" He sniggered and so did the rest of the gang.

Sakura gave a dark chuckle and looked at him directly in the eye.

"You just unleashed a Demon." She laughed and I smirked knowing she was talking about me, after all after what I saw I had more than enough reason to kill the bastard.

"We're here!" Bai called and we all instantly moved out.

"Eriol, let me know what the situation with Sakura is." I told Eriol over the earpiece.

"Roger that." I heard Eriol say and we went our different ways, the twins going around the front while the four of us went up to the side. There was a built in step ladder on the side to our luck and we all quickly made our way to the roof as quietly.

"Syaoran, the twins are in and the guys are getting angry because no matter what they do Sakura isn't crying. Also she knocked one of the out and stabbed another one with her heels." Eriol informed me and I couldn't help but chuckle at the last comment.

"Roger." I answered and went over to examine the skylight window. Niu pulled out a portable glass cutter and after cutting out nearly the entire glass, he took a suction-cup looking device and took off the glass, placing it neatly on top of the roof. Duyi jumped in first landing on the catwalk soundlessly and we all followed.

"Alright, let's go." I whispered and they all nodded.

Fang and I turned left and kept it going, the sounds of fighting growing louder and louder.

"Syaoran, my guess was right and the warehouse you're going towards is the right one. Niu and Duyi are on their way. You might want to hurry, Sakura is fighting but she's getting tired." Eriol's voice sounded on my ear.

I crouched once we reached the warehouse and what I saw made my blood go cold, I automatically reached for my gun and shot the sleaze ball that was on top of Sakura.

* * *

 _ **-Sakura's POV-**_

"You see sweetie, your boyfriend is currently watching helplessly from a computer screen as we make you cry and beg for your life." He smacked my face loudly and I clenched my jaw, to prevent any sound from escaping my lips. I remained quiet, not even a grunt escaped me.

"You hit like a bitch." I muttered and the guy smacked me again, I could taste the trickle of blood at the corner of my mouth. I knew taunting him wasn't the best strategy but I needed to buy time, I knew Syaoran would be here soon.

"What was that?" he asked in fury but I merely glared at him again.

"I said you hit like a bitch!." I yelled spitting my blood at his face and Nasal guy punched me this time, making my whole face snap to the side.

"What about now?" He sniggered and so did the rest of the gang.

I gave him a dark chuckle and looked at him directly in the eye.

"You just unleashed a Demon." I laughed thinking how if Syaoran was really watching this, he was going to come down like the devil himself. I knew how protective of me he was on a regular basis, I couldn't picture how he would react now.

"A demon you say?" He smiled diabolically and chose to kick me this time and I fell back. I had yet to make a sound and apparently that was pissing them off.

"Yo, this bitch isn't even crying!" Gruff voice yelled at Nasal.

"She wil be soon though, get her!" He yelled and they all came at me at once.

Enough was enough though, it was time to fight back. I stood quickly, catching them off-guard and pushed kicked the first guy making him fall back while taking a couple of the guys with him. I grabbed the discarded tail of my dress and choked the next guy that came charging at me. I held him until he passed out then dropped him unceremoniously onto the floor, waiting for the next one to come. They all stood around me in a semi-circle, waiting watching my next move. Two guys came at me at once and after kicking one in the face, I took off my pumps and shoved the heel into the guy's arm, repeating the motion with the guy that tried to catch me by surprise from behind. I heard them curse and I smirked, who said shoes weren't a girl's best friend?

Even though I had managed to injure two and knocked one unconscious, the rest of them were putting up a good fight and while I was smaller and more agile, I wasn't used to fighting so I found my stamina to be slowly decreasing. I was panting, praying that Syaoran or anyone for that matter, was close to coming when Nasal guy caught me off guard and ended up pinning me to the floor, my head hitting the concrete in the process.

"Not so tough anymore, are you girlie?" He sneered and my vision blurred from the hit, I could feel something warm on my neck and I guessed it was my own blood.

The rest of the guys stood silently on the sides, waiting for their boss's next move.

"Well, looking at you well, you actually have a nice body." He pinned my arms above my head with one arm and let the other one trace the outline of my body.

I struggled under his touch trying to get away from his advances, but my vision was blurry and I was weak from blood loss. I wanted to cry but I refused to show them any weakness.

"Lets see, big boobs, flat stomach, fat ass-" He started his hand traveling from my breast to my stomach to under my dress but next thing I knew his eyes rolled to the back of his head and he fell still on top of me.

Finally, my dark knight had shown up and I passed out.

* * *

 **A/N:** There you go guys! I hope you guys don't mind the constant POV Change but I needed it to make the story more whole. Also, let me know your thoughts/comments/reviews/questions please, I always make sure to address it in my next update which I'm guessing will be soon, I can't stop writing! :* Love you all! Till next time! :3


	27. Chapter 27

**_A/N:_** Hey my awesome readers! I'm so so so sorry I didn't update this past week. It's been a little hectic with my new job and everything else BUT I promise y'all It's all good now and aside from this update I will be updating again on Wednesday, maybe Thursday. We are coming close to an end to this story and it's bitter-sweet to me but I do want to end it in such a way that it satisfies all your questions,doubts and itches. Anyways! Enjoy :3

~ **RR** ~

~ **DarkAngel** ~

* * *

 ** _-Syaoran's POV-_**

I saw red after I witnessed that sleaze ball put his hand under Sakura's dress. My hands moved on automatic and I shot him. Sakura laid still under the body of the now dead man and that's when I noticed the pool of blood under her head. My blood went cold at the sight.

"Let's go fang!" I yelled and we both dropped from the catwalk. I noticed the twins walking in from the set of double doors. Two seconds later Duyi and Niu hopped down as well, we all stood still, waiting on the other person to make a move first.

"So, looks like Li Xiaolang has a heart after all." A bulked-up guy with a bald head spoke up.

All hell broke loose then. They charged at us at the same time we charged at them, and kicks and punches began to be exchanged. I took on the bulked-up guy who seemed to be the most challenging while my cousins took care of the rest of the thugs. We exchanged blows and I discovered his muscles weren't just for show; he was strong but he also slow. He charged at me, his arm drawn back in a punch, but I just waited into the last second to side-step him and knee him in his stomach. He crumpled onto his knees and I dropped kicked him in the kidneys, making him groan in pain and drop on the floor. I felt someone try and attack from behind but I just turned with a roundhouse kick and knocked him to the ground.

I turned again to see my cousins standing over the now unconscious bodies and was thankful we hadn't needed to use our guns against them. The bulky man groaned from his position and I walked over to him, nudging him with my boot so he could look at me.

"Who are you working for?" I crouched and grabbed his shirt, knowing the answer but still needing the confession.

"Two English duchesses asked us to get rid of your girl and that other Daidoji girl." He groaned out not bothering to lie.

I punched his face breaking his nose in the process.

"What were you planning to do?" I seethed.

"Sell them on the black market." He coughed out blood.

Human Trafficking. Just the thought alone filled Me with rage and after controlling it for so long I let it out. I punched the guy senseless until I felt a hand on my shoulder pulling me to a stop.

"Sakura needs you Xiaolang." Fangs voice broke me out of my anger and I dropped the guy unceremoniously.

I rushed over to Sakura's side and shoved the ginger-haired man off of her. She was unconscious, the pool of blood still warm and sticky. I gently placed her on my lap and felt for a pulse.

It was faint but it was there.

"We got Sakura, Eriol." I said into my earpiece.

"Guys we gotta move, this place is wired!" Niu said walking from one of the tanks along the wall.

"Syaoran, the cops are almost here, we gotta move if we don't want to raise any suspicions towards the family." Eriol said in my ear.

I picked up Sakura bridal-style as gently as I could in order to avoid further damage to her head and the twins started to lead us to the front door. My cousins sub-consciously arranged themselves in a semi-circle formation, with me in the back. They knew how precious Sakura was to me, not only from the meeting today but also from my constant emails to them, I smiled inwardly as they protected us. While making our way through the warehouse, we were suddenly ambushed by a dozen thugs more who seemed to have materialized out of thin air.

"Where the hell did they come from?" I muttered.

"Stay down Xiao, let us protect you for once." Fang smirked and I couldn't help but smirk back and take a kneeling position behind them. In the past, I was always the one taking risks and protecting the cousins, it didn't matter if they were older than me, I gladly took a bullet. It seemed funny how now, years later, while holding the girl of my dreams in my arms, they were returning the favor. They were quick, each of them not hesitating to knock out their opponents and as quick as they came they were knocked out unconscious.

"Guys, you have 2 minutes before the police arrives." Eriol announced.

We picked up the pace and were glad to see the back of the van doors open and ready. The boys let me climb in first, and I gingerly tried my best to quickly hop in with Sakura, before they all climbed in after me and slammed the doors shut. Too soon, red and blue lights started to make their appearance and Bai peeled off with a screech of the tires. I looked down at Sakura and worried over how pale her face looked. I shrugged off my jacket and held it to the back of her head, hoping to stop some of the bleeding. Her face looked bruised and battered, and my fist clenched subconsciously at the thought of that bastard hurting her.

We weren't too far away when we heard the explosion and saw an orange glow suddenly erupt and die behind us. Police cars kept flying past us, but we had at least 4 troops on our tail as well.

"Shit, we gotta lose them." Bai cursed. "Everyone hold on!"

We did as told and he made a sharp right turn followed by a U-turn. He sped up and I could see we had lost 2 cars already. We kept seeping through the busy streets before Bai drifted sharply into an alley and shut off the van and the lights. We had been so far ahead that the cops hadn't actually seen us get into the ally and flew past the small road.

"That was close." Niu sighed.

"Tao is going to be mad he missed the action." Jiayi joked lightly as Bai pulled out of the alley and onto the street once again, this time he was careful not to speed though, as to not call attention to us.

"I can already see him whining." Jiang laughed.

"The most important thing though, is we recovered Sakura. Isn't that right cousin?" Fang asked and I nodded.

"She lost a lot of blood, hopefully we make it to the mansion on time." I muttered worriedly and I could tell they were shocked at the fact I was actually showing emotion.

"I have Wei ready on stand-by for her medical care." Eriol informed. "She'll be just fine."

We arrived at the mansion were Wei, Tomoyo, Ryu, Meiling, Tao and my mother were all waiting for us at the steps expectantly. With no time to waste, I careful got down from the van and made my way to them. Tomoyo didn't hesitate to rush into Eriol's arms, glad to see him safe but her face changed as soon as she saw Sakura's state.

"We're ready, this way Syaoran-sama." Wei instructed and I followed him to the small medical room in the basement of the mansion. I laid her down on the bed and Wei asked me to wait outside, he would let me know as soon as he had news. Two of the maids were already waiting and got to work before I even closed the door behind me. I looked up to find everyone looking at me expectantly.

"What happened Syaoran? Is she going to be ok?" Tomoyo asked in tears from Eriol's side.

I explained everything that happened to them, and how Sakura had not only fought but also hit her head and loss a lot of blood. Meiling and Tomoyo both burst into tears listening to the details but stood strong and listened to the whole story. My mother looked devastated as she listened as well and I could see the sadness in her eyes despite her effort to look strong.

"My poor Sakura-chan!" Tomoyo sobbed on to Eriol's chest as he hugged her and comforted her.

"She'll be just fine bro." Ryu put his hand on my shoulder and I nodded solemnly.

We waited outside the small room for an hour, before Tomoyo broke the silence.

"Syaoran, you must be tired, why don't you go shower and take a nap, I'll stay here." She spoke softly, exhaustion evident on her face.

I nodded knowing I would lose if I argued with her and left for my room. I stopped one of the maids on my way and asked her to bring some food for the guys downstairs, after listening to what happened everyone had pulled chairs and sat around the medical room with me to wait for any news on Sakura. They were all tired from the ball and the whole situation after, specially my cousins who had gone on the mission with me but everyone insisted they stayed.

I got to my room and flopped backwards onto my bed, feeling exhaustion take over me before something poked my back. I glanced behind me to find two presents wrapped beautifully in green and silver, one a small box and the other a flat rectangle. I looked at them curiously before unwrapping the rectangle first.

It was a beautiful forest green scrapbook with gold lining. The cover was plain so I opened it to find the words "To my Little Wolf from His Cherry Blossom." In gold cursive and an amazing drawing of a male demon and a female angel dancing together laughing. It was set up like a story book, beginning with our encounter at the library and re-telling all our different meetings and events, pictures included. My heart grew with warmth, some of the pictures had me curious as to who had taken them but Tomoyo's face popped up on my mind and I suddenly knew. It was beautiful, she had decorated each page beautifully and described each event as if a tale from a story book, it seemed magical.

I reached the last page, there was a picture of us sitting on a bench at the garden here at the Li mansion. I was sitting sideways, with my back towards the arm rest, my left leg drawn up and resting on the bench's back and the other one dangling. Sakura was settled between my legs, facing the front and leaning on my chest sleeping. I remembered we had gone out that day and she had been exhausted afterwards. I was looking down at her, a soft expression on my face and a small smile seemed to adorn her sleeping face.

"To be continued." It read at the bottom in gold loopy cursive and I smiled. She only had one night to work on it but it seemed to be months worth of work.I unwrapped the smaller box and saw a necklace with a small origami heart. The necklace itself seemed to have been made for me. It was a silver chain with a howling wolf pendant, a silver moon behind it making it a full circle and I smiled knowingly. I unfolded the small heart and stared at the three words intently.

"I Love You"

I read and re-read the small piece of paper, making sure I wasn't hallucinating from exhaustion. Once I saw it was really really there in her handwriting I couldn't help the amazing feeling swelling up in my heart. She loved me. She wrote this before I even confessed to her and snuck it into my room before we left. But she really loved me and I felt like I had won the lottery.

The feeling left as quickly as it came when I remembered her state downstairs. I quickly took a shower and changed into dark jeans and plain black t-shirt and sneakers before grabbing the necklace and putting it on. I basically ran downstairs but was met with the same group of people looking tired as if nothing had changed.

"I thought I told you to take a nap." Tomoyo said accusingly as I went back to my chair facing the door and took a seat.

"I couldn't find sleep." I lied easily and sunk in my chair.

"Li-sama." A maid came by and handed me a plate with two sandwiches and some grapes. Everyone had already eaten from what I gathered of the discarded plates and crumpled napkins.

"Thank you." I chewed my food silently and the mood around me seemed to have fallen into a dark one. It took another agonizing hour and a half when Wei stepped out of the small infirmary.

"Syaoran-sama, she wishes to to see you." Wei smiled and I immediately shot from my seat.I walked in nervously not knowing what to expect when I saw her, but it all melted once I laid eyes on her to find her smiling softly at me. Wei and the two maids excused themselves right after and closed the door behind them.

"Hey you." I whispered softly, caressing her cheek. She was bruised and battered but she still looked beautiful to me all the same.

"You came for me." She croaked.

"Of course I did, I'll always find you no matter where you are." I caressed her cheek and tears started to streak her cheeks.

"I know, but I was so worried that something would happen to you or they tried to blackmail you with me." She cried.

"Seriously, what am I going to do with you?" I said wiping her tears away. "Here you are getting kidnapped and you're worried about me."

"I can't help it." She smiled. "How's Tomoyo? I heard them say they were going to kidnap her too."

"She's outside with Eriol, she's fine but I'm surprised you didn't ask to see her first." I said looking at her curiously.

"I was worried about you so your name was the first thing I said when I woke up." She blushed.

"Thank you cherry blossom." I smiled and kissed her cheek.

"Come lay next to me." She whispered.

"Are you sure? How are you feeling?" I asked but removed my shoes nonetheless.

"Like I got my ass kicked but tired above all, now come on I don't think I can fall asleep without your presence anyways." She said cheekily and with a smile I climbed in next to her. She curled up to my side and rested her head on my chest.

"I was so scared Syaoran." She whispered a little bit later.

"I know but you were really strong, I admire you even more if that's possible." I chuckled.

"I just tried my best." She murmured softly.

I tucked a piece of stray hair behind her ear and watched her for a couple minutes before realizing she was asleep. I smiled at her sleeping figure and kissed her forehead before pulling her close and falling asleep myself.

* * *

- _ **Sakura's POV-**_

I woke up wrapped in a comforting warmth and snuggled deeper into the blanket. I heard a low chuckle and all the recent events played in my mind and I vaguely remembered asking Syaoran to sleep with me. I felt my face heat up in a blush and I cracked open my left eye. Bright gold-amber eyes were staring down at me in amusement.

"Had good enough sleep princess?" He smirked and I automatically groaned and rolled my eyes.

"I feel like one big bruise." I groaned. My right eye was bruised shut and I winced as I tried to shift into a sitting position. I felt Syaoran snake his arm around my waist to help me and I leaned onto him for support.

"I'm sorry Sakura." He said lowly and I looked up to see a serious expression on his face.

"Why are you sorry?" I asked curiously.

"If only I'd held onto you when the lights went out…If only I'd arrived there earlier you wouldn't look like this, this was all my fault." His eyes looked so full of remorse and it broke my heart to see him this way.

"Syao, you can't possibly blame yourself for this. Neither of us could have known what was going to happen and to be honest I'm just thankful we're all safe. I never doubted you would find me Syaoran." I said honestly and smiled.

"I love you Sakura." He smiled at me and my heart seemed to burst out of my chest.

"I love you too Xiaolang." I smiled and he kissed me softly, my eyes fluttering shut.

"SAKURA!" Tomoyo chose that moment to burst through the door dramatically.

We both pulled back and laughed at Tomoyo's timing.

"Tomoyo." I smiled and Syaoran left my side to have Tomoyo replace it. She hugged me tenderly and cried as she did.

"I was so worried Sakura, I didn't know what I would do if you were gone!" She cried and I just hugged her back and soothed her back.

"It's ok 'moyo I'm here and I'm ok." I smoothed her back and noticed she was still wearing her gown from the night before.

"SAKURA!" Meiling wailed bursting in as well and jumping into the hug as well. "I was so worried! I thought I was never going to see you again!"

"It's ok guys, I'm fine." I repeated again but they continued to cry on my shoulders. I couldn't help but smile, my friends were truly a blessing.

I looked up and soon saw the small room fill up with Eriol, Ryu, Yelan and the Li cousins.

"Sakura!" Another wave of hugs, 'I was so worried' and my reassurance that I was fine, came through. Everyone settled after a while, Tomoyo and Meiling let go of me and went to stand by Ryu and Eriol, Syaoran took a seat by my side again on the bed and everyone else stood around the room.

"So what really happened Sakura?" Meiling asked.

"Don't you think we should let Sakura rest babe?" Ryu asked and looked at me.

"It's ok Ryu, I'm not tired." I smiled.

"How can she be after taking that nap with Syaoran?." Meiling smiled while wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.

My face turned bright red with embarrassment and I heard everyone chuckle.

"We got worried after Syaoran went in and didn't come out or tell us it was ok to come in so I peeked inside and saw you guys cuddled up taking a nap." Tomoyo smiled.

"Of course I took a picture of the Kawaii moment." She smiled and held up the picture for us to see and indeed, there it was, a picture of Syaoran and I cuddled up on the small bed, my head resting on his chest while his chin rested on top of my head and his arms encircled around my waist.

"A-Anyways…" Syaoran cleared his throat.

"Anyways, so after the lights went out someone grabbed me almost instantly and covered my mouth so I wouldn't scream. I tried fighting him off or screaming but everything was in such a panic it didn't make much of a difference. Then once we got to the balcony he drugged me and I woke up already at the warehouse. I was tied up, but I was able to get out of them with a little flexibility. Thankfully, I had my phone in my bra and they didn't notice, that's when I thought of sending my location to Syaoran." I explained.

"Why didn't you just call the police?" Tomoyo asked.

"If I called them it would have been made a big deal and it would be all over the media, and I just didn't want the Li's to have any issues because of me." I said embarrassedly

"Child, your life is in danger and you worry about the Li name?" Yelan reproached in a motherly way.

"I just didn't want to bother anyone." I said sheepishly.

"Oh please Sakura, even if you weren't dating Syaoran, I consider you my daughter already." Yelan smiled and I smiled in return.

"So, what happened after that?" Tao asked curiously.

"I tried to look for a way out but there wasn't any, they eventually found me untied and that's when they set up the camera. I'm guessing you guys already know what happens after that." I finished.

"Yeah, after you sent me your location we went to get you. Tao stayed behind since they were going to call my office line and he's ridiculously good at imitating voices. The rest of the cousins left with me to get you back and when they sent the live feed link, Tao sent it to my phone and Eriol got it from there." Syaoran explained and I nodded understanding.

"You can tell me the details on that later." I smiled. "You guys all look tired though, you're all still wearing your clothes from last night, except for the guys who are wearing what I'm guessing to be mission gear."

"Well..." Tomoyo started.

"What time is it?" Syaoran asked.

"8:00 am" Fang answered yawning.

"Why didn't you guys go to sleep when we took a nap?" I asked.

"We all started talking and eventually the Elders and Fanran,Fuutie,Sheifa and Feimei along with their boyfriends came to check on Sakura, until we heard you guys talking again and Tomoyo didn't resist bursting in." Eriol smiled at his girlfriend.

"Oh, Eriol, those men were hired by Emma and Eliza." I said remembering.

"The duchesses?" Tomoyo and Meiling yelled in unison and I nodded.

"Don't worry, we actually found out it was them right after they kidnapped you. Rest assured, they'll be getting their slice of justice, Syaoran would kill me otherwise." He smiled knowingly and I chuckled.

"Thank you, and thank you all for staying up and staying with me and specially Tao, Duyi, Jiang, Jianyi, Niu, Bai and Fang for risking yourselves for me." I smiled at the cousins.

"It's nothing Sakura, you're one of us." Tao smiled, the rest of them smiling in agreement.

"Thank you, but I do think that it's been a long enough night and you all need some rest. So, I'm kicking you all out." I joked and they laughed.

A chorus of 'Good nights' and hugs were passed around and eventually it was just Meiling, Ryu, Tomoyo, Eriol and Syaoran.

"I couldn't be prouder to call you my sister Sakura." Meiling hugged me and kissed my cheek before turning her attention to Syaoran.

"And you!" She pointed at him accusingly. "Stay by her side please and don't let her go." She smiled and turned to leave, Ryu by her side smiling.

"If you need anything let me know." Tomoyo smiled with tears in her eyes.

"Of course." I smiled.

"I love you so much Sakura, I'm so glad you're back even if you were only gone for a short time." She cried and I rubbed her back.

"I love you too Tomoyo-chan." I smiled.

She turned to Syaoran who looked at her expectantly.

"Thank you for bringing her back." She smiled.

"I never break my promises." He smiled back and with that Eriol and her took their leave.

I sighed and leaned back on the bed moving over so Syaoran could lay down with me again. He saw this and smiled before laying down next to me and wrapping an arm around my waist. I snuggled closer to him, placing my head on his chest when I felt him kiss my forehead.

"I love you my cherry blossom." He whispered.

"I love you too my little wolf." I murmured while the strong beat of his heart lulled me to sleep.

 ** _A/N_** : Well, there you go guys! Next chapter is going to be special and maybe a little longer than usual so you're all warned. :3 Anyways please remember to comment/ask questions/review and I will see you next time my rockstars. :3 3


	28. Chapter 28

**A/N** : ok guys first thing first! IM SO SORRY! I had really bad writer's block, this chapter was supposed to be special but it turned to be almost double in length to my typical chapters so I had to cut this one short. So, with that said watch out for the next chapter it will be up within a couple days just needs some minor tweaking. Ok, Secondly: _ **Clarification!** _Syaoran and Sakura did NOT, i repeat, did NOT sleep together in a sexual manner, they literally just cuddled and fell asleep. Now, that said when Tomoyo asked Eriol to spend the night that was meant in a more...intimate manner, i'll let your imaginations run wild on that since after all this story is rated PG. Anyways, Enjoy and please let me know what you think. Love you all! :3

 **~R &R~**

 **~DarkAngel~**

* * *

 ** _-Sakura's POV-_**

The next time I woke up I was back in my room of the Li Mansion. I felt a warm body spooning me from behind and I smiled as I recognized Syaoran's strong muscular arm draped over my waist protectively. I turned to my side, wincing as I did, but it subdued once I settled facing him. His sleeping profile was as handsome as ever but the expression on his face seemed more relaxed, boyish even. His breathing was even and the sunlight streaming through the window highlighted his hair from chocolate brown to a golden shade.

I softly reached up my hand and weaved my fingers through his long, soft hair. He sighed in content as I ran my hand through it again and I cracked a smile at the sight.

"You know it's not polite to stare." His deep voice gruff from sleeping.

"I know" I said lightly.

"So stop staring then." He moaned, screwing up his face but refusing to open his eyes.

"Nop." I cheekily replied, my hands still running through his hair.

"Why?" He grumbled.

" 'Cuz I can." I joked.

"You're not wrong." Syaoran chuckled and pulled me closer, tightening his hold on me, his muscles flexing as they did.

"Damn right." I chuckled.

His amber eyes fluttered opened then and I felt myself get lost in the almost-golden pools.

"How did I get here?" I asked. "We were sleeping at the infirmary, If I remember correctly."

"Oh, like 20 minutes after we fell asleep again, Wei walked in and I woke up. He re-dressed your bandages and put a special salve to help with the bruises and the swelling. When he was done, he told me it was fine for you to go back to your room, so being that you were sleeping so deeply, I just carried you up here." He explained and I blushed at the fact he had carried me.

"Sorry for the trouble Syao." I whispered.

"Oh please, my weights in the dojo are heavier than you." He chuckled and slowly detached himself from me. I watched him kiss my forehead and roll out of bed, stretching as he walked over to my desk where his phone was. I gently moved into a sitting position and hissed when I touched my left side.

"Just what exactly is wrong with me?" I asked as I tried to get out of bed.

"You have a fractured left rib, the blow to your head wasn't too serious it was more blood than anything, they had to actually transfuse some blood into you being that you were anemic already, some cuts and bruises here and there and a black eye that should subside by the end of the day." He explained carefully, having come around to help me stand up.

"Thank you." I smiled in appreciation.

"There's nothing to thank me for." He smirked.

"I'm serious, for rescuing me, getting me back here, taking care of me, sleeping with me, protecting me, everything really." I smiled and he returned it fully.

"I would have never been able to forgive myself otherwise." He said in a serious tone and I could see guilt riddled in his eyes.

A knock broke us out of our revere and I called for them to come in.

"Sakura-chan!" Tomoyo called happily and I smiled at the sight of her. She was wearing a loose violet dress that reached her knees, white tights and brown leather boots.

I smiled and she hugged me tightly, causing me to hiss a little.

"I'm so sorry hon." She said, her voice full of guilt.

"Don't worry, I'm just a little sore but all I want right now is a hot bath." I smiled at her.

"I'll start the bath for you and give you girls some time." Syaoran offered and I smiled in appreciation. He kissed my temple and left through the bathroom, the sound of water running coming on a couple seconds after. We heard his door close and I started to make my way to the bathroom slowly, Tomoyo following behind.

"How do you feel?" Tomoyo asked and I took a seat on the closed toilet seat.

"I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel like a truck ran over me, but I'm ok; Syaoran has been my rock." I smiled sadly.

"You should have seen him Sakura. He punched a hole in the wall in his office after we found you were taken and from what Fang told us last night he killed the man who was about to take advantage of you and almost beat the other one to death when he found out they wanted to sell us in a human trafficking ring. He stayed by your side then entire time, refusing to sleep or even eat to be with you." Tomoyo explained softly as she helped me get out of the dress. We'd s changed in front of each other and seen each other in underwear so many times before, it didn't surprise either of us anymore.

"He told me he loved me." I smiled brightly despite the discomfort I was feeling.

"Oh my gosh!" Tomoyo squealed, hugging me in the process. "When? How? Where? Oh my gosh! Did you say it back? Tell me everything!"

"Right before the lights went out last night." I smiled.

"Oh right at midnight on Christmas! How romantic." She sighed dreamily and I giggled.

"I know, I never knew he had it in him to be romantic like that." I laughed.

"Everyone says they've never seen him act the way he does with you, especially his cousins, they just kept saying how before he barely showed emotion but last night he was a whole different person." Tomoyo said while turning off the faucet, the tub full with steaming water.

"Well I don't know about that but even though I was scared out of my mind last night, I knew he would show up." I smiled softly and Tomoyo approached me, kneeling in fron of me and taking my hands in hers.

"I was so scared Sakura, I could only imagine how you felt. I'm just glad you're here now." She smiled and I smiled back.

"Thank you Tomoyo." I squeezed her hands and she squeezed them back.

"Alright, well I'll let you take your bath, call me when you get out so I can re-do your bandages and apply some more of that Li Salve. I don't know what it is but it's working wonders for you, your black eye is going down already." She said getting up to leave through the door in my room.

"I will, thank you 'moyo." I smiled.

"Don't mention it." She smiled back and left, leaving me alone for the first time in what seemed ages.

I gingerly stood and took off my undergarments, undoing my bandages in the process. I glanced at myself on one of the mirrors and winced at my appearance. My hair was tangled and knotted up, my black eye seemed to be healing fairly quickly but I was all bruises and cuts. The left side of my torso decorated with a giant purple and blue bruise, right by my ribs. In short, I was a hot mess.

I tore my gaze away from the mirror and walked slowly to the bathtub, taking a seat on the edge. I dipped in one of my toes and hissed at the hot water before slowly submerging myself entirely. The Jacuzzi tub was large enough for me to stretch completely and still have room, I ducked my head in the water feeling the hot water relax my sore and tense muscles. I broke through the surface of the water and sat back thinking of everything that had happened in the past 24 hours. Tears threatened to surface but I held them back and swallowed the knot in my throat; I was strong. It had been like something out of a movie or a novel, but that didn't make it any less scary.

I soaked in the bathtub for a good half hour before I decided it was enough. My body felt relaxed and even though I was still one big bruise, I was at least a clean one. I made my way to my room and began through the process of getting dressed. Everything had been going well until I got to my T-shirt, I had managed to put on underwear, socks, and sweatpants but every time I tried to raise my arms to slip on my shirt, I whimpered from the pain on my left side. By the 5th try I was crying, big fat tears streaking my cheeks from the pain but mostly frustration. I was sitting on my bed, knees to my chest, trying to somehow make myself as small as possible.

"Sakura, you ok?" I heard Syaoran ask from the bathroom door after knocking.

The tears didn't stop rolling which made me cry even harder, sniffling as I did.

"I'm coming in." He announced before stepping inside. Instantly, he was sitting next to me, I could feel something warm around me and I looked up to see his jacket draped over me. I looked up at him to see his cheeks take a slight blush and I almost forgot about all my frustration.

"What's wrong?" He asked, concern clear on his face, while wiping away the tears on my cheeks.

"Got frustrated trying to put on my shirt." I admitted guiltily, my tears having subsided.

"I'm sorry, Wei mentioned it to me and I forgot to tell you, but here I'll help you." He suggested.

I raised my eyebrow, an obvious question about his intentions on my face.

"Stop it, I'm going to look away obviously." He rolled his eyes but I could see a slight blush on his cheeks that made me giggle.

"Fine, but only because I can't walk around in just a bra."

"Be right back." He left to his room and came back with one of his shirts. "Might be easier for you to slip on."

He dutifully came to my side and turned his head away before I slipped off his jacket. He held up the shirt for me and I carefully slipped it on, wincing when I had to raise my arms but because his shirt was so big on me, I didn't have to raise my arms all the way making it easier.

"Thank you." I smiled once I was dressed and he was able to look at me again.

"Anytime babe, oh that reminds me! Stay here." He eased me back to sit on the edge of the bed and disappeared through the bathroom door. He reappeared a second later holding a green envelope and two pink gift boxes, a small square one and an obscenely large square box.

I stared at him in shock as he kneeled in front me and handed me all three.

"Merry Christmas Sakura." He smiled.

"This is too much Syaoran! I only got you something sma-" I sat there still dumbfounded.

"You're not going to open them?" He interrupted and I nodded, feeling excited all of the sudden.

I went for the envelope but he stopped me.

"That one goes last, try opening the biggest one." He smiled and I pouted before giving in and picking up the oversized box. I opened the box and gasped at the present. It was a baby pink hoodie with the word 'Angel" written in the back over a big 01, all airbrushed.

"I love it!" I smiled and went to hug him.

"There's more." He said while returning the hug and I looked back at the box to see a second hoodie under some tissue paper. It was bigger than the first and forest green, with the words 'Demon' in the back and the number 02, airbrushed as well. Underneath that were two converse boxes, one pair pink in my size and the other forest green in his.

I smiled brightly at him; THE mighty Syaoran Li had bought us matching outfits, oh man I couldn't wait to tease him about it already.

"Before you start your fun, I know you find it cute when the girls make their boyfriends match them but knowing your damn obsession with hoodies and converse I thought I could compromise." He looked away, seeming embarrassed and I couldn't help the cheshire smile that spread on my lips.

"Thank you, I love it." I beamed and kissed his cheek.

"Ok, Ok, next one." He said settling down the things next to me on the bed and handing me the small squared box.

I opened it and was completely stunned by the beauty inside. At the end of a thin silver chain rested a pendant of a female howling wolf with a moon behind it, making it a full circle. It was the girl version of the exact one he was wearing, only difference were the wolves and the moon on mine was gold while his was silver.

"This is-" I started in bewilderment.

"I know." He said simply and pulled the chain from inside his shirt to reveal the necklace I'd gotten him.

"I'm guessing you found your presents." I smirked.

"Last night, when I came up to shower and change. Thank you, I loved them both." He kissed me softly on the lips and I smiled at the fact he'd liked them.

"I'm glad you did, I was nervous about the scrapbook." I admitted, suddenly finding the floor to be more interesting than anything else.

"I especially loved that, remind me to thank Tomoyo for always sneaking around and taking pictures of us." he joked and I laughed.

"Could you?" I asked offering the necklace to him and he took it from my hands and stood to put it on me. I swept up my hair and he leaned in close , his breath tickling my neck.

"There, beautiful." He breathed out and I smiled, feeling the cold pendant against my chest.

"Thank you, I love it." I smiled.

So much had happened in the past 24 hours, my head was still buzzing with activity, but at the moment everything seemed to stop. An overwhelming feeling seemed to burst out of my heart and I found myself pulling him for a kiss. He seemed surprised at first before relaxing completely and returning my kiss with an equal amount of passion. We pulled back, identical smiles were etched on our faces.

"I love you, Sakura," He smiled, and I melted at the rare sight of a full smile from him.

"I love you too, Syaoran." I smiled back and we kissed once again.

* * *

Christmas Day at the Li mansion was just as fun as Christmas Eve. After a long make-out session, Wei stopped by to re-do by bandages and apply some more salve, before telling us that dinner would be in a couple hours. Syaoran carried me down (despite my protests) to one of the lounges were we spent the rest of the afternoon with Tomoyo, Meiling, Ryu, the Li sisters, the Li cousins and Yelan. It had been a nice and relaxing afternoon, all of us rested and obviously trying to move on from the incident. By dinner time my eye was fine, only yellow and green bruises decorated my cheekbone and I seriously wondered if there was magic in that salve.

Christmas dinner was delicious and served as a big banquet. Being that we had all been dressed up the day before, the Li sisters suggested eating Christmas dinner in Pajamas, to which everyone agreed. I stayed with my over-sized Syaoran T-shirt and sweats, and apparently I wasn't the only one who was borrowing their boyfriend's clothes because Tomoyo and Meiling both walked down wearing Eriol's and Ryu's sweatshirts, respectively, and yoga pants. The Li sisters had all matching flannel Pajamas in their signature colors, Yelan wore silk pajamas with a silk robe over the ensemble, elegant as always. The boys all pretty much looked the same in muscle T-shirts or v-necks and either sweats or flannel pajama pants.

After dinner we had hot chocolate and all sat in front of the giant TV to watch Christmas movies. It was the first Christmas I was spending with someone besides Tomoyo, and I had to admit it was fun. Despite Syaoran's grumbling about his family and the clan, you could see he really enjoyed moments like these and he cared about them all deeply. At some point Yelan, had retired to bed and the boys had begun to spar. We played games and by the time the sun peeked over the horizon we had all passed out. Syaoran and I were cuddled on a recliner, Tomoyo and Eriol were on the other one, Meiling and Ryu were on the love seat, the Li sisters all occupied the largest couch and the Li cousins were all spread out.

The rest of the days flowed smoothly and before we knew it, it was time to go back to Japan. The ladies of the clan cried, the Li cousins promised they'd come visit soon and the Li sisters cried as well making us promise to come back even if it was without Syaoran and Eriol (earning them a glare from them). We all exchanged phone numbers, promising to keep in touch and the older ladies of the clan promised to write to us as well. Just like when we arrived, the paparazzi was waiting hungrily and greedily for us, only difference was that it was day time.

"Ready?" Yelan asked and all 6 of us nodded.

Wei opened the door and she stepped out first, looking official in a pinstripe suit and a high sleek ponytail, her red lipstick bold and beautiful. She made her way down with ease and gracefully, smiling at all the cameras and answering their questions without hesitation. Meiling and Ryu were next, Mei looked beautiful in a red cashmere sweater, black jeans, black high-heeled boots and a brown coat. Ryu, next to her, was clad in a burgundy sweater, blue jeans and black boots, a black jacket completing the look. She was already used to spotlight so she walked down with confidence, Ryu never too far behind. Tomoyo in her beige sweater dress, navy tights and brown boots walked hand in hand with Eriol, who sported a plaid navy sweater, dark jeans and brown boots. She was as graceful as ever and the epitome of elegance as she answered the reporters readily, Eriol smiling and nodding along. Then it was our turn.

I exhaled loudly before stepping out of the limo, just as nervous as the first time. My eye was all better now, no trace whatsoever of the black eye and even though my side still hurt and I winced every now and then, it was considerably better. I walked out in pink converse, dark jeans and my angel hoodie, Syaoran next to me matching with his demon hoodie and forest green converse. Flashes went off, but Syaoran's warm hand on my waist guided me through.

" ! ! How was your visit?" A reporter shouted.

"What can I say? It's always good to be home." Syaoran smiled tightly.

"Ms. Sakura! What did you think of Hong Kong?!" Another reporter yelled.

"Hong Kong is truly amazing, I'm glad I was able to discover such a beautiful place, and I hope it's not my last time visiting." I smiled genuinely.

"Mr. Li what do you think of that ?" The same reporter asked.

"I will definitely be bringing her back here." He smiled and this time I could tell it was genuine.

"Mr. Li! Did the elders of the Li Clan approve of Ms. Sakura?" A reporter asked trying to push his way through.

"Of course." He smiled.

"Ms. Sakura! What did you think of the Li Clan?"

"The Li's are all wonderful people, they all made me feel welcomed and at home."

We made it to the jet and I sighed in relief, this time seemed shorter than the last and I was glad for it. The flight was uneventful and we landed in Japan. We were tired and lagged from the trip so we dropped everyone off in their perspective homes before heading home. Yelan claimed to have work and left for her office upstairs as we got home and Syaoran and I, too tired to move, passed out on the couch watching TV. We woke up around 5:00 pm from our nap, and after being informed Yelan was going to a business dinner we decided to get the gang together and go out for food and drinks.

I dialed the girls while Syaoran took care of the guys, and we all agreed to meet up at the mall in an hour.

"So we're going to Tomoyo's for New Years right?" I asked as we got up from the couch and stretched.

"Yeah, I know that's your tradition." He smiled and I nodded. New Years at Tomoyo's was an unquestionable event, it had started when we were small because her mom was always away and mine didn't care but with years it became tradition.

"Alrighty, this year is going to be a party though, so the gang will be there as well as Auntie Sonomi's sister Nadeshiko and her family." I explained making my way to my room, Syaoran following.

"She's the one you're always talking about right?" He asked and I nodded happily.

"I don't know why but I feel a pull towards her, maybe because she's missing her daughter and i'm missing my mom, we have that link." I shrugged.

"Maybe…" Syaoran said distractedly, deep in thought suddenly.

"I'm going to shower real quick." I said as we got to our doors.

"That's fine, I have to go look something up real quick." He said, kissing my temple quickly and leaving in the direction of his office.

"Can we still wear our hoodies?" I asked behind him and I heard him groan down the hall.

"Fine!" He called back.

'Apparently Bad boys do fall in love' I thought to myself with a ridiculous smile on my face.

* * *

 ** _-Syaoran's POV-_**

I made my way to the office and immediately started to search the web. Something had struck a chord with me when Sakura mentioned both her and Nadeshiko were missing their parent/child, it seemed to coincidental and if he knew anything it was that nothing in this world was coincidence it was merely the inevitable. I made a call to one of the Li investigators and ten minutes later I had the entire report on Nadeshiko's kidnapping. I looked at hospital paperwork for anything regarding the child and after what felt like an eternity I found a note on the baby's hair and eye color: auburn hair and green eyes. That's all it took for me to call up the one person who'd know for sure.

"Hey Tomoyo, sorry to bother you but I have a question regarding your aunt Nadeshiko…"

* * *

A/N: Well there you go guys! Please let me know what you think and if any questions or doubts, ask away! I'll answer them in the next chapter. Next chapter will be really emotional *Hint Hint* and as much as I hate to say this there are very FEW chapters left, I wanna say 2 maybe 3? and then the epilogue (s?). Anyways, love you all :3 Make good choices and I'll see you next time :3


	29. Chapter 29

**A/N:** Heyyyy my lovely rockstars! I'm back and this time for good. Let me tell you guys I edited and re-edited this chapter so much I had to split it in two. I wanted it to be perfect for you guys since I went MIA for a couple months. Anyways, I will be making a mini-series of epilogues about the years after high school and all that good stuff. So for now enjoy, and as always let me know your thoughts. :3

 **~R &R~**

 **~DarkAngel~**

* * *

 ** _-Syaoran's POV-_**

I made my way to the office and immediately started to search the web. Something had struck a chord with me when Sakura mentioned both her and Nadeshiko were missing their parent/child, it seemed too coincidental and if I knew anything it was that nothing in this world was coincidence it was merely the inevitable. I made a call to one of the Li investigators and ten minutes later I had the entire report on Nadeshiko's kidnapping. I looked at hospital paperwork for anything regarding the child and after what felt like an eternity I found a note on the baby's hair and eye color: auburn hair and green eyes. That's all it took for me to call up the one person who'd know for sure.

"Hey Tomoyo, sorry to bother you but I have a question regarding your aunt Nadeshiko." I asked.

"You're not bothering me, but it must be serious if you're asking me before we all meet up." She replied.

"Yeah, I have this hunch and did some research but I think you would know better than me, is there any chance Nadeshiko is Sakura's biological mom?" I asked, holding my breath.

I heard Tomoyo gasp softly before sighing deeply.

"My mom and I had some suspicions as well and confirmed it. Sakura is Nadeshiko's daughter and my cousin." She admitted and then went on to explain everything in detail to me, there was no point in hiding it from me anymore since I had figured it out.

"Wow, that's crazy." I sighed once she finished. There was a knock on my door and Sakura poked her head in.

"You ready Xiao? It's almost time to meet up everyone." She smiled and I nodded.

"Ok, thank you very much, I'll be expecting the revisions on my desk after the holidays." I said quickly into the phone and I heard Tomoyo giggle.

"I guess Sakura walked in, I'll see you guys in a few." She said and hung up. I felt bad for lying to Sakura but it wasn't my place to tell her what I'd find out. I locked my computer screen and made my way to her side.

"Sorry about that, you know last minute details about the launch." I kissed her temple and she seemed content with my sorry attempt of an excuse.

We made our way to the mall and the girls squealed once they saw each other, it had only been a week but they acted as if it had been years.

"So, how was China?" Chiharu asked Tomoyo and Sakura was clad in jeans, a yellow long-sleeved v-neck, brown combat boots and a brown jacket.

"Did you guys get to visit any temples?" Naoko asked in a baby blue sweater dress, white tights and black high heeled boots.

"Did you bring us souvenirs?" Rika asked with a smile,looking elegant in skinny jeans, a white turtleneck and brown high-heeled boots.

"Woah, missed you guys too." Meiling laughed in black leggings, tall black uggs and an oversized red sweater that reached her knees.

"Hey, don't you start missy! We didn't know you were leaving too!" Naoko scolded lightly at Meiling.

"We didn't know either." Tomoyo smiled lightly and Meiling glared at her playfully.

"Ok! Ok! I'm sorry I didn't tell anyone my plans but I needed it to be a surprise." She said throwing her hands up in fake surrender.

"It's ok Mei, we just like teasing you." Chiharu smiled and the girls laughed.

Sakura, Tomoyo and Meiling went on to tell them all that happened during our trip, leaving out only the kidnapping incident; we had all agreed it was better to keep that a secret from the gang otherwise they'd make a big fuss about it. After all agreeing on being hungry, we decided to stop at a restaurant to eat.

"So how were your Christmases?" Sakura asked from her seat next to mine, my hand automatically going to rest on her thigh.

"Hiro's parents invited me over to his house for dinner, but we had a lot of fun." Naoko smiled.

"Miki came over to mine and we went on a date afterwards." Rika smiled as well.

"Takashi and I go on a Christmas date every year." Chiharu said her cheeks turning a little red.

"Awww you guys are so cute!" Meiling teased and the girls threw balled up napkins at her.

"Ok, I'll stop." She laughed and we ordered our food.

"I'm so excited for the party tomorrow! I can't believe it's going to be a new year already." Chiharu said happily.

"Thinking back, this year came with a lot of surprises." Naoko pointed out.

"You're right, I mean just look at us! We hardly knew each other and now we're like family." Rika smiled.

"You're not wrong though, I mean look at Syaoran and Sakura." Meiling teased.

"What about us?" I glared which only made her laugh.

"You guys were the real wild card, I mean with you being Mr. Popular, heartbreaker, playboy bad boy and Sakura being Ms. Invisible, library ghost, little genius; nobody saw it coming." She smiled.

"You're right, I mean Eriol and Tomoyo kinda make sense because they're similar but you and Sakura are total polar opposites." Takashi teased making the gang laugh.

"I agree though." Sakura not skipping a beat.

"What?" I said surprised.

"I mean is no secret we're total opposites, we've even talked about it but I was surprised when we became best friends at the beginning of the year, dating you didn't cross my mind at all." Sakura said innocently and I couldn't help but agree.

"I guess you're right, I mean I had a hard time accepting my feelings for you." I admitted shyly, making her smile.

"Same." she smiled shyly as well.

"AWWWWWWW" The whole gang said at the same time and we glared at them almost identically.

"Even your glares match!" Meiling laughed.

"Nice job on the gifts Syaoran." Tomoyo smiled at our matching outfits.

"Yeah, real cute." Eriol smiled his cheshire cat smile and I threw a balled up napkin at him.

"Whatever, lets just order." I grunted and the table laughed.

The rest of the night went by quickly, full of stories and laughter. We ended up back at the mansion for drinks and it wasn't until 3 am that everyone left. Sakura had fallen asleep somewhere along the line on her pink bean bag chair and I smiled as I scooped her up with all the care in the world to carry her to bed. This girl was definitely making me soft, but as long as she never left I'd be ok with that.

* * *

 ** _*Sakura's POV*_**

I woke up in my bed and smiled knowing Syaoran had carried me back. Glancing over to my phone I noted it was only 9 am so I went through my morning routine and dressed in black sweats and a white cami. I picked up a book from my collection and made my way to the kitchen to make some tea.

The maids bowed respectfully as I passed them and I smiled warmly at them, it had been weird at first but after living here for the past two months I had gotten used to it. I made my tea and left for my room again, it wasn't often I got some quiet alone time between work, school, Syaoran and our friends but it wasn't necessarily a bad thing. I settled on my lounge couch and sighed in content.

I was absorbed in my book when a knock interrupted me.

"Come in." I called and a messy mop of chocolate hair poked its head in.

"Hey gorgeous." Syaoran smiled and made his way over to me.

"Hey yourself, handsome." I smiled and he kissed me sweetly on the lips before taking a seat next to me on the couch.

"Did you eat yet?" He asked glancing at my empty mug.

"Not yet, but it's still early-"

"Early? Cherry, it's 3pm." Syaoran interrupted with a smile.

"What?! But this is only my second book!" I said glancing at the finished book on the coffee table and at the almost finished one in my hands.

"It only takes you like 3 hours to finish one so I'm not surprised, but we gotta make our way to Tomoyo's soon. She wants us all to get ready at her place remember?"

"Crap, you're right." I put a bookmark in place and went to grab my high top vans and a hoodie.

I heard Syaoran chuckle as he watched me scramble to get ready.

"What did you do today?" I called from the closet.

"Work out in the morning, ate breakfast with my mom, and then just worked on the new launch we have next month. Thanks for all the notes by the way, they helped a lot"

"It's no problem, why didn't you come get me though? I would have helped you." I grabbed my bag and we left my room for the garage.

"I thought you might want some you time." He smiled and I kissed his cheek.

"Thank you." I smiled and he returned it fully.

"Nothing to thank me for." We reached the garage and he opened my door before getting in the car himself.

We drove listening and singing along to the radio and before we knew it we were at Tomoyo's. We pulled up and noticed everyone else's cars were already there.

We walked in and it was complete chaos. Well, organized chaos, maids and butlers running left and right putting up decorations, cleaning, making sure everything was in place.

"SAKURA!" Sonomi's voice seemed to boom from somewhere and next thing I knew I was engulfed in a hug.

"Can't breathe." I gasped out and she stepped back with a smile.

"It's so good to see you Sakura! You're as cute as always." Sonomi beamed and I returned it.

"Good to see you too Sonomi." I smiled.

"I told you to call me Auntie, and who is this handsome young man?" She asked gesturing Syaoran.

"I'm sorry Auntie, this is my boyfriend Syaoran Li. Syaoran, this is Sonomi Daidouji, Tomoyo's mom." I introduced.

"Nice to you meet you ma'am" Syaoran extended his hand and gave her a small smile.

"Oh gosh Sakura! Lucky you, he's so charming. Please Syaoran call me Auntie as well." Sonomi smiled brightly and I blushed lightly at her teasing.

"Thank you." He smirked at my reaction and they shook hands.

"Let me not hold you guys up any longer, the girls are all in Tomoyo's room, the guys are with Eriol in the room across, go ahead." She smiled again and left us to keep redirecting everyone.

"Don't take my breath too hard now." Syaoran teased as we reached Tomoyo's room.

"Same goes for you mister." I teased back. He kissed me soundly and we parted ways.

"Hey guys, what's up- WHAT THE HECK HAPPENED HERE?" I yelled mid-sentence upon seeing all the mess in Tomoyo's room. There were clothes and shoes littering the floor, the girls were all in rollers or messy buns and robes , make up was everywhere as well as glasses of wine.

"Us." Meiling laughed and the rest of the girls followed.

"Now come on, you're late and the party is in an hour and a half." Tomoyo chided me and sat me in front of her vanity.

"Here." Meiling pushes a glass of red wine in my hand while Rika who was wearing a black clay mask started in my hair.

"What's this?" I asked taking a sip, it was sweet unlike the nasty red wines I had drank.

"Sweet B*tch Merlot." Meiling laughed

"How fitting." I joked and the girls laughed.

Despite the mess in the room, our 6 dresses hung neatly in the closet and the rest of the girls were all semi done. Exactly an hour and a half later we were all ready to go and Tomoyo like always had outdone herself with us.

Tomoyo was dressed a navy, thin-strapped, georgette dress that reached the floor and flowed behind her a little. Gold heels decorated her feet and she put her hair up in a wavy ponytail with a gold cuff.

Rika was dressed in a burgundy, knee-high, halter-style chiffon dress that left her back bare. She had a snow-white faux fur shawl that matched her pearl necklace and earrings perfectly. Her hair was left down in waves and the black stilettos on her feet finished the look.

Naoko looked elegant in a black, strapless mermaid-style dress that reached the floor. She wore silver heels and a pretty silver flower pin held her hair swooped to one side. A beautiful silver necklace that Hiro had given her tied the entire outfit together.

Chiharu looked stunning a white satin dress that reached the floor and hugged all of her curves. It was held up by two thin straps and the neckline scooped a little. She had her hair in an elegant bun decorated by silver clips that matched her jewelry and high heels.

Meiling was gorgeous as always in a red satin dress that hung tight to her body and reached the floor. A slit ran up both sides up to mid-thigh and gold pumps could be seen. Her long hair was left straight and down with only a gold flower clip to decorate.

Then there was me clad in a sparkly gold, sleeveless, trumpet style gown. The dress shimmered and sparkled every time I moved, as did the sparkly gold pumps on my feet. My hair had been left down in beach waves and Meiling had insisted on giving me a Smokey eye and red lipstick combo.

We all took a look at one another and smiled.

"Girls, we clean up nice!" Chiharu squealed.

"Oh yes! That reminds me." I gasped and went over to my bag.

"What's wrong Sakura?" Tomoyo asked.

"Nothing, just wanted to give you these." I smiled and showed them the 6 identical bracelets I had bought for us. The were thin with the only difference being the jewel charm color.

They all gasped in unison.

"I just wanted you girls to know that even though I've never had this many girl friends before, I consider you all to be more than that; I consider you girls my sisters and I wanted something that the 6 of us could have together." I explained and went on to give each one of them their perspective bracelet. Purple for Tomoyo, red for Meiling, yellow for Chiharu, Aqua blue for Naoko, clear for Rika and pink for me.

"Awwww, we love you too Saku!" Meiling said in borderline tears and gave me a bone crushing hug. The girls lost no time and joined into the hug as well.

"Girls! The boys are waiting downstairs!" Sonomi yelled from outside the door making us laugh.

We broke off our hug laughing and wiping away the near tears.

"Coming!" Tomoyo yelled back.

"Makeup check." Rika laughed and we all took turns making sure our makeup was still intact.

"Let's go ladies! Time to knock them dead." Meiling cheered and we laughed.

We made our way to the wide staircase and there at the bottoms, our 6 handsome princes waited for us. The all wore identical black suits and white shirts, the only variation being their ties and pocket napkins. Eriol's tie was navy, Miki's was burgundy, Hiro's was black, Takashi's was silver, Ryu's was red and Syaoran's was gold.

I met Syaoran's eyes and almost melted at the wolfish smile he gave me. We descended the stairs and as we reached the bottom he offered his arm, which I happily took before he led us away towards the ballroom. Sonomi and Tomoyo had really outdone themselves because everything looked amazing. Everything had been decorated in gold, black and white and both chandeliers had been lit beautifully. Helium star-shaped balloons in gold,silver and black floated through out the room and regular balloons in the same colors covered the floor. The champagne colored curtains had been drawn and a light snowfall could be seen outside the floor to ceiling windows. High black-gloss, cocktail tables were spread around the edge of the dance floor and a string quartet played a beautiful melody as we walked in. Hors d'oeuvres were being passed around as well as drinks, to sum it up it was beautiful.

We all approached one of the cocktail tables and were served champagne.

"Ladies, you all look incredible." Ryu complimented us and Meiling kissed his cheek.

"Thank you." We all chorused cheekily.

Syaoran snaked his arm around my waist and pulled me closer until his lips tickled my ear.

"You though, you look beyond incredible. You look absolutely breathtaking." He whispered huskily in my ear and a chill ran down my spine as he did.

He kissed my temple and smirked at my now red face.

"Get a room you two." Miki joked and we laughed at his teasing.

People were now starting to pile in and soon the party was in full swing. Tomoyo and Eriol had excused themselves to help Sonomi with the hosting. A lot of the people at the party were business tycoons, so Syaoran kept getting recognized as well as me. The boys eventually asked us to dance and once again I felt like a princess and by the look on the girls faces they felt the same.

After an hour and a half of mingling we were served dinner in the dining room, and after we were all done with the delicious meal we were guided to the ballroom once again. Lights of different colors as well as a Dj has been set up, so unlike the upclass party it was before, the room now looked like a real party at a club.

"Sakura! Tomoyo!" A voice called as we walked to inside the room and I saw Nadeshiko approaching us with a smile. She looked beautiful in a simple grey halter-top dress that reached the floor. Her long hair had been let loose in waves and a simple emerald necklace pulled the look together.

"Auntie!" We both separated from the group and greeted her with smiles and she hugged each of us.

"You ladies look so beautiful!" She smiled.

"As do you." Tomoyo complimented back and I nodded in agreement.

A gentleman approached her then and placed a hand on her shoulder in which she automatically intertwined her fingers with his.

"Girls, this handsome man is my husband Fujitaka." Nadeshiko introduced to which the man smiled gently at us and I was able to get a proper look at him. He had honey auburn hair and kind brown eyes. He wore a grey suit with a white shirt and an emerald green tie, and seemed to have the same kindness as Nadeshiko in his demeanor.

"Nice to finally meet uncle." Tomoyo smiled.

"Nice to meet you." I smiled as well.

"Nice to meet you both as well, Tomoyo-San, Sakura-San." As he said each of our names he shook our hands and I couldn't help but feel a pang of nostalgia as I did. His voice and demeanor seemed comforting, but like something you'd forgotten from your childhood.

"Where are Touya and Yukito-san?" Tomoyo asked.

"They're running late from the hospital they are interning at, but they already called saying they were on their way." Fujitaka answered kindly.

"That's great, now if you'll excuse me my mom is calling me over." Tomoyo bowed and left.

"Sakura-chan, could we have a chat with you?" Nadeshiko asked kindly and I nodded with curiosity.

I looked back and met syaoran's eyes. I signaled that I was leaving with Nadeshiko and he gave me a smile and a nod before someone called his attention again.

She led us to the library across the hall from the ballroom and to our luck the fireplace was lit ablaze.

"Why don't we sit down?" Fujitaka proposed and and they took a seat in the loveseat facing the fireplace and I sat down in an armchair facing them.

"Well, I know it may be a little strange for us to bring you out here to talk to you but there's something we need to tell you." Nadeshiko started. "You know how I told you I was looking for my lost daughter?"

I nodded slowly.

"We found her." She smiled with tears threatening to form.

"That's great, I'm so happy for you." I beamed.

"Sakura-chan, you are our daughter." She said softly, a tear rolling down her cheek while she smiled.

* * *

 **A/N:** Hey guys, sorry for the cliffhanger! But I need the reunion to be perfect and to stand on its own. I'm already working on the next chapter but I'm perfecting it to the T since you all deserve nothing less than. Till next time! Love you all :3


	30. Chapter 30

A/N: Hey My rockstars! So I know I said I was going to update soon but the more I wrote this chapter the more it felt like it wasn't completed so I kept revising and revising to the point I had writers block but with that being said after thinking about it and seeing a couple review I've decided to extend the fic! I don't know how long It will be now but I do have a couple ideas formulating in my brain but I will push off the epilogues for now and continue to give you guys some more of Saku/Syao as bf/gf. Love you all! Enjoy :3

 **~DarkAngel~**

 **~R &R~**

* * *

 **-Sakura's POV-**

"Well, I know it may be a little strange for us to bring you out here to talk to you but there's something we need to tell you." Nadeshiko started. "You know how I told you I was looking for my lost daughter?"

I nodded slowly.

"We found her." She smiled with tears threatening to form.

"That's great, I'm so happy for you." I beamed.

"Sakura-chan, you are our daughter." She said softly, a tear rolling down her cheek while she smiled.

"What?" I whispered in disbelief.

"You're our daughter Sakura-san." Fujitaka repeated again.

"W-what?" I repeated still not able to wrap my head around the news.

"I know it's a lot to take in but I saw you once on TV when the scandal with Syaoran broke out and I recognized your eyes. I didn't think you'd actually end up being friends with Tomoyo out of all people and to meet you in person that soon. I didn't want to freak you out so I kept my suspicions to myself but when you asked if we could meet again I was elated. The more I got to talk to you, the more I was sure you were my Sakura but we had to make sure." She explained.

"H-how?" I asked, my voice raspy from the tears forming in my eyes. My mind was racing at a 1000x times per second, just trying to process everything.

"I took a hair from you the very first time we met at the library and we sent it out for a DNA test."

"And?" I choked out.

"It was positive Sakura-san, you are our biological daughter." Fujitaka said in a calm voice and I broke.

Once the first tear slipped, the flood gate was open. I felt nadeshiko rush to my side and hug me, and my tears intensified. I could feel her tears on my bare shoulder but it didn't matter to me, I was hugging my mom.

My real mom.

A mom who truly loved me.

I had a family that had been looking for me for years.

A family who really wanted me and loved me.

This entire time we had both been looking for our parent/child and it turned out that we were right under each other's noses the entire time. There really was no such thing as coincidence in this world as Syaoran had once said.

We hugged until we were both dry of tears and broke apart. She wiped the tears from eyes and stood to straighten her dress. I stood as well trying to compose myself and ,Fujita-well my dad, who had been giving us our space stood as well and came to stand behind nadeshi-my mom.

"Sorry, I'm still trying to process things." I said with shaky laugh.

"It's ok, we know it's a lot to take in but you needed to know the truth." Nadeshiko sniffled,

"I appreciate you guys for telling me the truth." I sniffed.

"Can I come in?" A deep voice interrupted and we turned to see Touya at the door, we all nodded and he came closer to us.

"Touya, officially meet your little sister Sakura, Sakura, your older brother Touya." Nadeshiko, well our mom, introduced us.

"We've met before." He ruffled my hair.

"Yeah, did you know back then that I might be your sister?" I asked fixing my hair with a huff.

"I had my suspicions back then." He smiled affectionately.

"That explains a lot." I smirked thinking back at his reaction when he overheard we were going away to china.

Our parents looked at us in confusion and I chuckled lightly.

"I'll tell you guys another day." I smiled.

"So, what now?" I asked after a couple minutes of silence.

"It's ultimately up to you, honey." My mom smiled kindly.

"Up to me?" I asked.

"Well, of course sweetie. We are your family but we also have to be realistic about things. You already have your life set up and we don't want to come in and turn everything upside down for you. But we would like for you to get to know your family and become part of it." My dad explained and my heart swelled with emotion.

"I'd like that too." I smiled.

"How does coming over for dinner sound?" My mom suggested.

I nodded with a smile.

"Perfect, we'll go over the details later but now little missy I'm pretty sure your boyfriend is getting worried about you." Nadeshiko smiled mischievously.

"Boyfriend?" Touya asked disapprovingly

"Boyfriend" I teased

"Come on, Sonomi will get worried." Fujitaka prompted before Touya could start an argument and I was glad.

We all stepped into the party that was currently in full swing. I was immediately pulled by both arms by Naoko and Chiharu into the dance floor. I looked back at my new found family and found them all smiling at me to which I smiled back.

"Sakura! Dance with us!" Meiling called where Tomoyo, Rika and her were dancing, the boys were nowhere in sight.

Soon the 6 of us were dancing and having fun, and I couldn't help the overwhelming sensation of happiness I was feeling. I had true friends an amazing boyfriend, and a new family that really wanted me and loved me. Everything seemed like a dream, a dream that I never wanted to wake from. The boys joined us at some point and we all began to dance together.

I felt Syaoran's hands on my hips and I looked over my shoulder to see him smiling down on me and I returned it fully. I turned around to face him and put my arms around his neck as we kept to the rhythm of the music.

After dancing for a while, he nodded his head slightly to the balcony to which I nodded and followed him to it. I took a deep breath of cold fresh air, enjoying the crisp weather and stepped up to the balcony rail leaning against it.

"Hey Beautiful." Syaoran whispered as he wrapped his arms around my waist from behind once more.

"Hey handsome." I smiled as I turned around and my placed both palms on his chest.

"Are you ok? I can tell you've been crying." He asked his voice full with concern.

"I found my mom." I stated simply, swallowing a new wave of tears that threatened to appear.

"No way!" His eyes went wide in surprise.

"It's been Nadeshiko this entire time." I half laughed before I choked a sob.

He brushed his thumb against my cheek and that's when I realized I was already crying. I buried my face into his chest and cried, Syaoran gently rubbing my back with one hand while holding my head with the other. We stayed like that for a while before I was able to calm myself.

"I'm so happy for you love." He whispered and I smiled up to him.

"You already knew didn't you?" I asked teasingly while wiping my eyes. He'd been surprised but ever since the day we got back from Hong Kong he had looked like there was something he knew and wanted me to know but couldn't tell me.

"I'm not going to lie to you, I did know. But it wasn't my place to tell you so I kept it from you, I'm sorry." He looked at me with the most sincere amber eyes.

"I forgive you, I'm just glad I found out the truth." I smiled and he looked relieved.

"Me too, it was a such a burden to know something like that and not be able to tell you."

"I can imagine." I chuckled.

"Hey, Sakura" I heard Syaoran whisper as he leaned in closer and rested his forehead against mine.

"Yeah?" I whispered breathlessly.

"Happy New year." He whispered back with a wolf smirk before he kissed me into the new year senselessly. As if on cue a firework exploded in the background and I couldn't think of a more perfect moment in my life.

I melted into his kiss as shouts of happy new year were heard in the background and I smiled to myself. This was going to be a happy new year indeed.

* * *

The New Year's Party had ended up with the girls sleeping over in Tomoyo's room, the boys all sharing a guest room, my mom, my dad, Touya and Yukito had also slept over and took two more rooms.

Sonomi had a beautiful brunch served to us and being that we were all together I decided to spill the news about my new found family to everyone else. We had all already finished eating and we're now nibbling on fruits and sipping mimosas (courtesy of Tomoyo) when I squeezed Syaoran's hand for courage and stood up from my chair loudly, causing everyone to look at me.

"Guys, I have an announcement to make." I announced.

"Omg! Are we going to be aunties?" Meiling interrupted.

"W-what? N-no! Absolutely not!" I stuttered, feeling my face turn red.

"Are and Syaoran getting married?" Naoko asked.

"N-No! What's with all these questions?!" I stuttered again.

The table laughed.

"But on a serious note I did want to share with you all that I did find my biological family." I smiled as the girls all squealed and came over to hug me. They knew how important this was to me so an overwhelming sense of happiness caused a few tears to slip.

"So, who are they?" Rika asked once we had all settled.

"We are." My mom said as she stood from her chair with my dad by her side. They came around to my side of the table and came to stand with me proudly.

"WHAT?!" The girls all shrieked.

We went on to explain everything to my friends and Sonomi and Tomoyo confessed they already had their suspicions from the beginning. Tomoyo and I were more than happy to find out we were cousins as if blood would make us any closer and I had the chance to properly introduce Syaoran to my parents and brother.

"So, you're the boyfriend, we're going to need to chat later." Touya said as he narrowed his eyes at Syaoran.

"Anytime." Syaoran had easily responded not backing down.

"Touya!" Yukito lightly chided and I smiled as I saw my brother break his gaze from Syaoran and look lovingly into his partner's eyes.

Once lunchtime came around, everyone decided to go. The gang decided to meet up in a couple hours to visit the shrine together and said their goodbyes. My parents were reluctant to see me go, as if I disappeared from their sight that would be the end of it but I promised I'd come by the next day for dinner. Syaoran and I got in his car and drove home in silence, our hands intertwined and the radio playing softly in the background.

We got home and after saying our happy New Years to Yelan, Wei and the rest of the staff and I decided to take a bath and a nap. I drew myself a hot bath and took off my borrowed clothes from Tomoyo. I sank into the steaming water and sighed in relief, admiring how most of my bruises were already almost faded from the kidnapping incident.

I reflected on the past year and found myself smiling. I had finished my junior year with flying colors, I had worked as a waitress all summer and was able to buy my very first car (my beautiful beat-up Jeep), I started my senior year, had somehow ended up getting paired up with the school heartbreaker for a project, ended up befriending said heartbreaker's cousin and eventually him, became friends with all my amazing now-sisters, became best friends with the school's bad boy, punched Kari in the face, won an Art scholarship, attended a Halloween ball, moved into the Li mansion, started working at Li Corp, started fake-dating my best friend as a publicity stunt, fell in love with said best friend, found out my best friend felt the same way and started dating him, got accepted into my top choice university, went to Hong Kong, met the entire Li clan and the elders, got kidnapped and met my biological family.

All in all, it had been an awesome year and I couldn't wait for whatever this year was bringing.

A/N: Heyyyyy there! So I know this chapter is a little short but I wanted to focus on Sakura's reunion with her family and kinda wrap things up since next chapter will be about them returning to school, new characters, plot twist and a whole bunch of new stuff I have planned. Love you all till next time! :3


	31. Chapter 31

A/N: Hey there my amazing Rockstars! Firstly I want to thank you all for my amazing reviews! They're literally the best! Secondly, this chapter is almost like a filler chapter BUT I needed to introduce my new character and there's a good amount of Saku/Syao fluff. Third, I did change the rating on the fic not because I'll be doing Lemons or anything like that but there are some references to things like that so I rather be safe than sorry but it's still pretty PG13. Anyways, I hope you enjoy!

~ **RR** ~

~ **DarkAngel** ~

* * *

 ** _*Sakura's POV*_**

The sound of a phone vibrating woke me up and I blindly reached for my bedside table to make the darn thing stop.

"Hello?" I answered, my voice groggy.

"Sakura? Were you asleep?" Tomoyo asked on the other side of the line.

"Um-hum." I answered vaguely remembering taking a bath and deciding to take a quick nap afterwards. I felt something warm on my back and turned slightly to see a sleeping Syaoran spooning me from behind. He subconsciously tightened his hold around my waist and I smiled, he must have snuck in after I had fallen asleep.

"Did you forget we're going to the Tsukimine Shrine for New Years greetings?" She asked and I jerked into a sitting position.

"On my way!" I said and hung up.

I must have scared Syaoran awake because next thing I knew he was standing with his back to me in a martial arts stance.

"What's wrong?" He asked fully alert.

"We're late for the shrine!" I said getting out of bed and pushing past him to my closet.

"Babe, you seriously can't scare me like that." Syaoran sighed as he leaned on my closet door frame.

"What's scary is Tomoyo when she's upset, and we're late. If I don't show up to her house to put on that ridiculous yukata she's going to hang me." I explained as I jammed my feet into my high top vans. I had already dressed in a white tank top and grey sweats after my bath, so I just grabbed a black hoodie and threw it on.

"I don't even want to know." He chuckled and left to get ready. He was already dressed in dark jeans and a black wifebeater, so all he really needed to do was pull on a shirt and shoes.

I hastily ran a brush through my hair and pulled it into my usual ponytail, when Syaoran called for me. I grabbed my bag and was surprised to see him dressed in a forest green sweater, black boots, grey scarf and a dark grey pea coat. His ponytail was a little loose and a stray strand had escaped but it had to be a crime to look that good in such little time.

"You're fast." I murmured.

"It doesn't take much effort to look this good." He smirked cockily.

"Oh shut up." I rolled my eyes playfully before kissing his cheek and making my way down the stairs. We drove to Tomoyo's in record time, since it really wasn't that long of a drive and I immediately made a mad dash to her room.

"I'm here!" I announced as soon as I burst into her room.

"Finally! We're all ready!" Tomoyo said exasperatedly.

"Come sit Saku." Chiharu motioned to the chair in front of Tomoyo's vanity and they got to work on me. About 10 minutes later I was already dressed, made up and my hair had been made into some intricate waterfall braid.

"You girls ready?" Eriol asked after knocking from outside the door.

"Coming!" Tomoyo called and after inspecting each of us she gave her nod of approval and we left to meet the guys downstairs.

Tomoyo had made each of us Yukatas for the occasion. Tomoyo's was midnight blue with beautiful lilac flower designs and a violet obi, her hair was let down in beautiful waves and lilac flower clip was on her left side. Meiling's Yukata was burgundy with a gold flower design and a black obi, and her hair was let down as well with a red flower on her left side. Rika's yukata was ivory white with a beautiful black rose design and a black obi, and her wavy hair was let down with a white flower clip.

Chiharu's Yukata was a bright yellow with orange-red flowers and a red obi, a yellow flower clip adorned her long wavy hair that was let down as well. Naoko's was an aqua blue color with dark blue koi fish and a dark teal obi, a bright aqua flower clip decorated her short curled hair. Lastly, mine was forest green with cherry blossoms and a light pink obi, a cherry blossom pink clip was on the left of hair. We had all opted to wear the traditional kimono socks and sandals, and Tomoyo had given us a small handbag that matched our obis.

We reached the stairs and I noticed the boys were all dressed similarly in jeans, boots, sweaters and dark coats and jackets. Ryu was in burgundy, Takashi in dark orange, Miki in black and white, Eriol in navy blue, and Hiro in blue.

Miki gave a wolf whistle as he saw the lot of us and the girls giggled.

"You girls cannot keep doing this to our poor hearts." He said in mock hurt holding his heart.

"You're so dramatic." Rika laughed as she reached him and gave him a kiss on the cheek. I smiled as I watched each of my sisters go up to their perspective boyfriends and give them each a kiss on the cheek.

"Do I get anything?" Syaoran smirked as he followed my gaze towards our friends.

"Maybe?" I grinned cheekily before pulling him by his scarf and planting my lips on his. It had been a spur of the moment thing but he seemed to be pleasantly surprised at the action. I got down from my tippy toes and smiled as a lazy smile spread on his face.

"How was that?" I teased.

"Like I was kissed by an Angel." He smiled and my heart melted just a little bit.

"If you two are done, we're all ready to go." Meiling teased and I remembered we weren't alone. The realization of what I had done hit me and I could feel as my cheeks heated up and my face turned a light shade of pink.

"Lets go." Syaoran said as he grabbed my hand and we made our way to the cars. We arrived at Tsukimine shrine and I was in awe of all the beautiful stands; there was actually a festival going on and we had no idea. We went up to the shrine and I prayed for another wonderful year, good health, for my friendships to last a lifetime and for my relationship with Syaoran to grow stronger.

Afterwards we split up and went around the food booths and the games. Syaoran and I let our competitive side show at the game booths and soon had won a mountain of plushies at each of our sides. Unknown to us we had also gained a small crowd of kids.

"Woowww, that Oni-Chan is so cool!" A little girl admired Syaoran as we went head to head at a shooting game.

"Bah! The Onee-Chan is wayyyy cooler!" A little boy around the same age argued back.

Syaoran and I exchanged a smile and I giggled. Soon it became apparent the girls were all cheering for Syaoran and the boys for me, and after 5 rounds I was the winner.

"That's so not fair." Syaoran mumbled.

"I beat you fair and square." I smirked at him.

"What are we going to do with all these plushies?" Syaoran asked pointing to the 10 or 15 small stuffed animals.

I smiled and grabbed a couple before bending down and offering them to a couple of the kids who had been cheering for us.

"Thank you for cheering me on." I smiled and after a second both little boys took them with a shy smile and I ruffled their hair. I repeated the motion with all the other boys and I saw Syaoran do the same for the girls.

After a bunch of thank you's and a couple of hugs, all the little kids had left with big smiles on their faces and a new toy each.

"I need to use the bathroom real quick, I'll be right back." Syaoran said as he kissed my cheek and got lost in the crowd. A couple minutes passed by in silence and I found myself watching the people around me but my eyes stopped at the man that had suddenly almost materialized on my left side.

"That was adorable, what you did for those kids." The man spoke in a low deep voice and I jumped a little surprised. His shiny black hair reached his shoulders and seemed to sway with the little wind that was blowing. His eyes were two bright blue pieces of the sky and his lips formed a perfect Cupid's bow. A five o',clock shadow adorned his face, giving him a rough look that matched his outfit. He was clad in black biker boots, black jeans, a white fitted v-neck and a black leather jacket to complete the look.

"Um, thank you." I mumbled, my shy side taking over like it always did when I met a stranger.

"Sorry for startling you, I'm Alex Johnson, just moved here but just Alex is good." He smiled warmly, flashing his perfect white teeth and extending his hand.

"I'm Sakura Kinomoto, but Sakura is good too." I shook his hand politely.

"Sakura means cherry blossom, right?" He asked.

I tilted my head to the side at the odd question.

"Oh I'm sorry, Japanese is actually my second language. My mom was Japanese and my dad is American, I've lived in New York for the past 10 years, so my Japanese is probably not the best." He admitted a little embarrassed and I giggled.

"No, no it's really good. I was just thrown off a little but it does mean cherry blossom." I smiled.

"Good to know I'm not completely embarrassing myself, I'm actually here with my cousin but she ditched me." He said as he looked around.

"Who's your cousin? Maybe I know them." I asked.

"Kari Johnson." He said casually and my eyes went wide.

"YOU are Kari's cousin?" I asked in shock, emphasizing the you.

"Unfortunately yes, my dad and I had to move here to help her dad rebuild the company." He explained and I began to feel a little guilty, since after all it had been because of me that Kari's father company was struggling.

"But-but-but you are so-" I stuttered at the absurdity, after all he was super nice and Kari was the wicked witch reincarnated.

"Nice?" He interrupted with a laugh.

"Yes!" I laughed along with him.

"Don't worry, even as kids people sad the same thing but despite her bad attitude I still love her." He smiled.

"Well, she's been my bully since we were in Elementary school, that's how I know her." I explained and I could see his face twist into different emotions before settling into embarrassment.

"I'm so sorry." He said sheepishly and gave my shoulder a comforting squeeze.

"Am I interrupting?" A deep voice said from behind me and I smiled knowing who it belonged to.

"Of course not silly goose, you took a long time." I teased Syaoran lightly and he moved to stand next to me, intertwining his hand with mine in the process.

"Long line." He said curtly, eyeing Alex up and down. Syaoran was an inch or two taller than him but Alex was meeting his scrutinizing gaze with one of his own so I stepped in.

"Syaoran, this is Kari's cousin Alex Johnson, we met a couple minutes ago when I was waiting for you. Alex, this is Syaoran Li, my boyfriend." I introduced and they shook hands without tearing their eyes from each other.

"Nice to meet you Johnson." Syaoran said gruffly, his voice an octave deeper than usual.

"Alex is fine, nice to meet you as well. Lovely girl you got there, be sure to take care of her." He smiled and winked at me.

"Trust me, I'll do everything in my power to keep her by my side." Syaoran said seriously and I looked between them a little confused, somehow it seemed they were talking with double meanings but I didn't understood how.

"There you guys are!" Meiling called breaking the tension and I was glad for it.

"We got a little excited in the game booths." I smiled sheepishly.

"You mean you kicked ass." Alex complimented and I smiled politely.

"I'm sorry, who are you?" Chiharu wasted no time asking Alex.

"I'm sorry, I'm Alex, Kari's cousin." He explained and everyone's mouth went slack.

I laughed at their reactions and they turned to me.

"I was waiting for Syao to come back from the bathroom when I met him. But I'm surprised to say they don't even seem related." I explained.

"I'll take that as a complement." He smirked at me.

"So, are you here for tonight only?" Meiling asked.

"No, I actually just moved here, I'll be going to Tomoeda High after winter break as a senior." He smiled at her.

"Well I'm Meiling…" she started and everyone went around introducing themselves. I glanced at Syaoran next to me and noticed he was quieter than usual and quenching his jaw a little. I went on my tippie toes and gave him a light peck at the corner of his jaw and he looked down at me in surprise.

I simply smiled brightly at him and he returned it wholeheartedly.

"...and I'm Miki." Miki was the last one to introduce himself.

"Well, Nice to meet you all."

"We should get going guys, it's already 11." Tomoyo said glancing at her phone and we nodded.

"I should probably look for Kari and her little friends, it was very nice to meet you all, I'll probably see you guys at school." He waved goodbye and left to get lost in the crowd.

"Sleepover?" Naoko asked and all the girls nodded yes and then looked at me.

"I think I'm going to sit this one out girls, I miss my bed." I locked eyes with them and then gave a little glance at Syaoran hoping they would get the gist.

"OHHHHHHH." They all said at once and I face palmed.

"Well, the guys can come to my place." Eriol suggested and the boys cheered.

"Let's get drunkkkkk!" Miki laughed and we shook our heads in amusement. After saying our goodbyes, we drove home in a comfortable silence.

"Let me change and I'll come over to your room." I told Syaoran and he nodded. I went to my room and decided to shower. After throwing on a pair of black sweats, some socks and one of Syaoran's old shirts. I knocked three times on our conjoined door and I heard a muffled 'all clear'.

Syaoran had apparently showered as well, being that he was only clad in flannel pajama pants and socks. I tried not to gawk at his shirtless abdomen but soon found the task to be almost impossible. He was towel drying his hair and walked up to him to help him.

"Do you want me to braid it for you?" I asked and he peered at me from under his wet hair with those mesmerizing amber gold eyes of his and almost froze in my spot.

"I'd like that." He gave me a boyish smile and on cue my heart skipped a beat.

Braiding his hair had become a habit of ours, since back when we were just friends. On one of our many gaming/movie nights he had showered and walked out with his hair wet. That was the very first time I had seen him with his hair down and he looked angelic. His normally wavy hair seemed a little bit curlier when wet and gave him this wild look that even as a friend I had found alluring. He shared with me he usually left it down to dry but it annoyed him because it always got in his way so I offered to braid it. Every since then, if I was over or if I was hanging out in his room after he showered I offered to braid it and he always agreed.

I sat at the edge of his bed, my legs dangling apart and he sat on the floor between them, his back to me. He was tall enough that his head was at a perfect height for me to braid his hair comfortably.

I ran my fingers through his silky hair and as always the tangles just fell apart with basically no effort, and as always I couldn't help but feel jealous of his gorgeous mane.

"So, are we going to talk about it?" I started.

"Talk about what?" He asked trying to feign innocence.

"Alex." I said simply beginning the French braid from the top of his head.

"What about him?" He muttered and I could hear the hint of anger.

"I don't know, you tell me." I said nonchalantly.

"Sakura, there's nothi-" he started.

"You and I both know you can't lie to me." I interrupted softly and he stayed quiet for a couple minutes. I continued to braid his hair diligently, waiting for him to continue.

He sighed deeply and mumbled something under his breath.

"I'm sorry, what?" I questioned.

"I...him...you." I made out 3 words from his sentence and leaned closer.

"What?" I asked again, my braid was done and I tied off the end with a small dark green ribbon he kept by his bedside table.

"I DIDN'T LIKE HIM TOUCHING YOU!" I said loudly and a megawatt smile spread on my face.

"Aawwwwwww, wittle Wolfie was jeawous." I teased leaning down to hug him. I changed from sitting position and laid down on his bed, my head next to his now and both my arms around his neck, resting lazily on his chest.

"I'm NOT jealous." He said groaning but I just giggled and kissed his cheek.

"Yes you were, it's ok to admit it." I giggled again and he brought up his hands to hold my arms.

"I was not jealous of that mutt." He scoffed.

"How did you know he was mixed?" I asked.

"Kari had mentioned him once or twice." He said nonchalantly.

"Welllllll, I think he's nice and handsome and he's not a mutt." I said smiling cheekily.

He sat up a little and turned to look at me, his face in surprise.

"You think he's handsome?" He asked mortified and I cracked up laughing.

"Oh my gosh baby, your face is priceless!" I laughed rolling face up.

Next thing I knew though, Syaoran had climbed on top of me, pinning my arms above my head with amber eyes lit ablaze.

"So you really think he's handsome?" He asked huskily and my laughter died in place.

"Umm Yes?" I smiled defiantly.

He started to tickle me with one hand while holding my arms with the other, and damm he was strong. I laughed and tried to escape his hold but to no avail.

"Ok! Ok! I was lying!" I cried laughing.

"I could tell." He smirked.

"I mean, don't get me wrong he's attractive but compared to you he looks like a muppet." I joked and he chuckled.

"Good, I thought I might have to make him disappear." He whispered huskily as his face neared mine and I gulped in anticipation. Granted we had never done anything more than makeout but having him pin me down, shirtless and with a sexy huskily deep voice to top it off, my hormones were all over the place. I'm still a teenager after all.

He leaned down and kissed me, softly at first before it grew into something more. Something needy and hot and sloppy but amazing nonetheless.

"Syaoran, can we crash here instead-" Eriol started as he opened the door and we broke apart. I pushed Syaoran off of me and he landed on the floor with a thud.

Eriol and the rest of the guys stood at the door, unsure of what to do.

"I-um-im-uh-gonna g-go." I stuttered, my face bright red in embarrassment and scurried out of the room through the conjoining door. I heard Syaoran faintly call my name but I ignored it and dived straight into bed. My heart hammered as I laid underneath my blankets in a fetal position. I definitely had to keep my hormones in check.

* * *

 ** _Syaoran's POV_** *

"Syaoran, can we crash here instead-" Eriol started as he opened the door and we broke apart. Two seconds later I found myself on the floor groaning from being thrown off the bed so suddenly and I had to marvel that for such a small girl, Sakura was strong.

I looked up to see my idiot friends just standing there before I looked back and saw Sakura's face as red a tomato

U

"I-um-im-uh-gonna g-go." She stuttered before making a mad dash for the conjoining door.

"Sakura!" I called her getting up but the slam of the door told me she wasn't going to come back.

I sighed and rested my forehead against door.

I turned back at my friends, a glare and scowl already present in my face.

"What do you want?" I asked coldly.

"My house is getting renovated so it's a bunch of noise in the morning." Eriol explained meekly, the rest of the guys looking embarrassed and refusing to meet my gaze.

"Well, my night just got ruined and now I can't even go sleep in my girl's bed so I guess you morons can stay here." I rolled my eyes.

"We're sorry-" Takashi started but I glared at him and he stopped.

"Don't try to apologize, it's ok I just need a drink to cool down." I sighed exasperatedly and tugged on a Star Wars T-shirt before heading to the game room. The guys followed me quietly and it wasn't until I poured myself a cognac straight up and took a sip that they started to talk.

"So, umm, sucks we have school on Monday." Ryu started and after a round of agreements, conversation picked up as usual. I sat at the bar and listened while sipping my drink.

"What about that new Alex guy?" Hiro asked.

"Yeah, Kari's cousin right?" Takashi looked at me and I nodded.

"She mentioned him when we were dating." I said curtly.

"Sakura-san seemed to be getting along with him." Eriol commented with a secret smile while the guys glanced at him like he was crazy.

"Yeah, I don't like him." I stated simply and it was true. When I came back from the restroom just to see a good looking guy smiling at Sakura and touching her, I wanted to jump in and break his hand. Sakura however had given me that gorgeous smile of hers as soon as I stepped in and I knew then that he had no chance with her, but I still had to make it clear she was mine and mine alone. Plus her teasing about my jealousy had led us to a very good moment and there was no way I could stay mad.

"For me it's not that I don't like him, but I don't trust him." Ryu said standing to get a beer.

"Agreed." The rest of the guys chorused.

"And to think we're going to see him at school starting Monday." Hiro sighed.

"Well, we don't know if he's a friend or foe yet but everyone just keep an eye out for each other." Miki suggested and we nodded.

"Enough of that mutt, who wants to get their butt handed to them in poker?" I smirked and laughs went all around as we grabbed our drinks and moved to the poker table.

* * *

A/N: Hey guys! Hope you liked Alex because you will be seeing him for a couple chapters. He's not here to break up Saku/Syao though after all we've been through I don't have the heart but he is here to help develop them soooo don't hate him too much. Anyways, till next time :3


	32. Chapter 32

**N/A:** Hey Guys! So please don't kill me BUT it is summer time and with two jobs and college starting next week, the summer is like my only time off. I won't bore you with my personal life BUT I really do hope you enjoy this extra long chapter! Love you all!

 **~RR~**

 **~DarkAngel~**

* * *

 _ ***Sakura's POV***_

I climbed out of the passenger side of Syaoran's car and slung my bag across my chest. It was the first monday back after winter break and the entire senior class felt as enthusiastic about being back at school as I did, meaning they weren't. I walked around the car where Syaoran was already waiting for me, having grabbed my tea from the car. I walked over to him and grabbed my cup while he slung his arm across my shoulders. He looked gorgeous as ever in a plain black fitted t-shirt, blue jeans, black converse and a black jacket for the chilly winter breeze. I was surprisingly clad in a black tight fitting black long-sleeve, blue skinny jeans, a black jacket and black high-top vans.

Syaoran and I made our way to our lockers and I couldn't help but roll my eyes as people stared at us and whispered, we were seriously such old news by now, it was just annoying. We made it to our lockers and as usual the whole gang was already there.

"Good morning." We greeted and got a chorus of good mornings back.

"Sakura! You look so cute today!" Tomoyo said happily in her dark jeans, black boots and violet cashmere sweater.

"You can thank Syaoran who disappeared all my hoodies talking about some 'new year new you' bullshit." I said bitterly as I handed Syaoran my cup to hold while I switched books. He just smirked at me.

"Good Job Syao." Meiling beamed in a red knit dress, black tights and black combat boots, her hair swishing in a ponytail. Ryu was leaning casually next to her in jeans and burgundy sweater.

"Looks like his plan might have backfired though." Miki smirked in a white hoodie and black jeans, as he pointed his chin in the direction of a couple guys who stood idly by trying to check out Sakura. Rika in a white blouse, dark jeans, black cardigan and boots, sent him a look of disapproval.

Syaoran gave the boys the darkest glare I'd ever seen and sent them scrambling, the gang laughing at the sight.

"So Sakura can I come and take pictures of the new Art room yet? I want to post it on the newspaper." Naoko smiled in a light blue sweater and black jeans.

"That's right! Did you finish it?" Chiharu in a mustard yellow sweater dress and brown tights and boots asked.

"I'm actually far from done, I have to finish up my season and get started on the last one, plus I have to go back to the other walls and fuss over the small details to make everything perfect." I finished softly banging my head against my closed locker door.

"Wow, that much?" Hiro asked clad in a baby blue sweater and dark jeans.

"Yup." I deadpanned. Syaoran turned me around and tucked me under his arm before giving me back my tea and kissing the top of my head.

"You have six months for it so don't worry too much about it." Syaoran said comfortingly and I smiled gratefully.

"You're so cute when you're serious." Tomoyo giggled and I glared at her.

"It's just there's so much I want to do and at the same time it's practically finished. Plus, I'm doing it on my own now." I sighed.

"She actually kicked us out." Eriol remarked with a smirk.

"Really?" Ryu asked.

"Yup, Neither of us are allowed back in the room, coach's orders but I really think they're more a certain monster's order." Syaoran smirked looking down at me.

"I don't know what you are talking about." I smiled innocently.

"Plus you guys got the letters you needed from him so I don't see the big deal." I argued.

"Ugh, don't even get me started on college, these applications are going to be the death of me." Chiharu complained.

"Agreed." The gang said in unison and the bell rang.

"See you at lunch." We all said and went on our separate ways.

Classes went by in a blur and soon enough we were all sitting at our regular lunch table. We had all grabbed our lunches when I realized I had left a book I needed in my locker.

"I'll be right back." I announced to the table.

"Do you want one of us to go with you?" Naoko suggested and I shook my head no.

"It should only be a minute." I protested and walked out of the crowded cafeteria. The noise of the cafeteria faded to the background as I walked farther away to my locker. I opened it and grabbed the book I needed before shutting the door. I jumped back in surprise as Alex smiled, he seemed to have materialized out of nowhere.

"Hey." He smiled.

"Hey yourself, you scared the crap out of me." I said gathering myself together from the scare.

"Sorry, wasn't my intention but it's hard to see you without your guard dog." He joked and I smiled knowing he was referring to Syaoran.

"We share almost all of our classes together so it's only natural, but why did you want to see me without him?" I asked leaning against my locker.

"Because he doesn't like me, but I want to be your friend." He smiled dazzling.

"My friend?" I asked Mildly surprised.

"Yup, I like your vibe and despite all the petty comments my cousin has spat about you, I think you're pretty cool." He explained easily, his smile never disappearing.

"Umm, sure we can be friends." I said without much thought, afterall he had just defended me from his cousin.

"Awesome, see you around Hime-sama." He smiled and winked before leaving leaving me there too stunned to react for a second.

"I'm not a princess." I murmured more to myself than anything and left back to the cafeteria.

"Everything ok?" Syaoran asked as I took my seat next to him.

"Yeah, actually I just saw Alex." I said and the girls turned their attention to me.

"That's right! He's in my choir class and let me tell you, he's amazing." Tomoyo praised with a dreamy look in her eyes as if remembering something.

"He's really smart too, he was in my English class and the teacher said he belonged in AP." Chiharu added.

"They're switching him to AP chemistry too." Naoko remarked.

"Well he said he wanted to be friends." I blurted and I felt Syaoran's body stiffen beside me.

"He what?" He asked lowly.

"He asked if we could be friends and I said yes." I said facing him, I could tell he was jealous but that didn't mean he could tell who I could and couldn't be friends with.

"You did what?!" He spat in a cold tone.

"We will talk about it at home if you want." I hissed lowly, anger taking over at how much he was overreacting.

"But-" he started but I glared at him, effectively cutting him off.

"At home." I repeated and Syaoran reluctantly nodded.

"I'll see you guys later, I lost my appettite." I announced getting up to leave to the library.

"I'll come with-" Syaoran started but after another glare he just gulped and sat down again.

"Later." I announced and received a chorus of goodbyes.

I walked over to the fiction section of the library and sat down tucked away in my corner. I pulled my chem homework and got lost in the world of neutrons and protons.

-Syaoran's POV-

"I'll come with-" I started but after receiving another cold glare from Sakura i gulped and sat back down. Man, she could be scary when she wanted to.

The table was quiet after she left and I looked around my friends awkwardly. They all had the same expression of sympathy on their faces and I couldn't help but sigh in defeat.

"You know, Sakura has a point." Meiling pointed out after an awkward moment of silence.

"Mei!" Ryu scolded lightly but I just shook my head.

"She's right, I overreacted." I said solemnly.

"But who knew Sakura could be so scary?" Miki joked.

"Oh no, Sakura-Chan may not look it and she's a complete pacifist but once she's mad there's no going back. It takes a lot to bring her to that level." Tomoyo explained and then directed a pointed look towards me.

"I get it! I get it! I'll apologize." I sighed once again in defeat. Loving someone did really change a person.

Sakura's POV*

It was 8th period and I sat cross legged on top of the new teacher desk they had brought in for the art room, facing the blank wall. I had used all of the previous period to work on the last of the spring mural, only summer was left. I had been close to starting the last season but my brain felt like a jumbled mess. A knock on the back door of the room interrupted my thoughts and I turned to see Alex walking in.

"Hey" He half waved and I waved him inside, turning around.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" I asked.

"I'm off 8th period and was exploring the school." He explained walking inside and doing a 360 spin.

"This room is awesome." He smiled.

"Thanks." I smiled shyly at the compliment.

"You did all this?" He asked amazed.

"Well Syaoran and Eriol helped to paint it but I designed and drew all of it." I said shyly.

"You're so talented! You're going to pursue art after high school right?" He asked enthusiastically and I nodded with a smile.

"I want an invite to your first exhibit, I'll be your first customer." He smirked.

"I think Syaoran might beat you to that but if I ever do make it big, I'll invite you." I joked.

"So, why are you sitting here just staring at a blank wall?" He asked hopping up on the desk next to me.

"Ummmmm…" I stalled as I debated whether or not to confide in the stranger. I studied him briefly and despite my anti-social-ness I felt like I could trust him. It was strange but I felt like I could confide in him even after knowing him for such a short period of time.

"You're stalling." He pointed out and I smirked.

"Just debating whether or not I should trust you." I confessed with a smirk.

"Interesting, what's the verdict?" He smirked back.

"I'll trust you but you can't tell anyone, this is something I haven't even discussed with Syaoran or my friends." I confessed.

"Well, I'm curious now." He signaled for me to continue.

"I can't come up with anything for this wall." I admitted shamefully.

"Oh" He said simply, his lips forming into a perfect O.

"Yeah." I said simply and stared forward at the wall.

Silence.

"No inspiration?" He asked after a couple of minutes.

"There's so much I want to do but at the same time nothing concrete comes up." I sighed.

"Well what about the other walls?" He asked.

"Coach told me what he wanted and I went from there, but this one he left up to me entirely." I explained leaning back on the palms of my hands.

"So why don't just do whatever you want?" I shrugged.

"Because I want it to be special." I smiled sadly.

"Elaborate."

"This wall is going to be looked at every day by Coach's students, whether they want to or not. It going to be right behind him so it's most likely the first thing people see when they walk in. Also, it's something IM leaving behind, I have to sign it, so I want it to be special." I rattled and looked away embarrassed.

"That's a beautiful sentiment." Alex complemented and I turned to look at him only to find him smiling softly at me.

"It's silly, I'm probably overthinkin-" I started to argue but he cut me off.

"Don't even think about finishing that sentence." He Warned.

I rolled my eyes playfully.

"I'm serious, you're incredibly talented and as long as you stay true to yourself you'll find your inspiration." He smiled and I smiled back.

"Thank you." I smiled softly and he nodded.

We stayed like that for the remainder of the period, sitting backwards on top of a desk, facing a blank wall, talking about ourselves. I found out he's an only child, and that Kari wasn't keys the mean girl she is now. He was to inherit his family business and while he didn't mind it, he still liked to pursue other hobbies like photography and dirt biking. His parents were faithfully married and he seemed to adore talking about his mother in particular. We were talking about his pathetic cooking skills when the bell indicating the end of the day rang.

"So, you really can't even fry an egg?" I asked laughing.

"I can make some mean ramen and coffee though." He laughed bumping my shoulder playfully.

"I'm more of a tea person." I said hopping off the desk, Alex copying me and hopping off as well.

"What kind you like?" He asked as I got my bag and hung it across my chest.

"Hibiscus tea is my favorite." We walked towards my locker.

"Have you ever had Mexican hibiscus tea?" He asked and I shook my head.

"They serve it cold over there and call it Jamaica water, it's delicious, you should try it."

"Oh sure, let me just hop on a plane and go to Oxaca." I rolled my eyes playfully at the absurdity.

"You don't know what you're missing." He chuckled and I laughed at his antics. We approached my locker and saw Syaoran waiting for me.

"Li." Alex greeted with a nod once we reached him.

"Johnson." Syaoran greeted back in the same manner.

"I'll catch you tomorrow Sakura-chan " He smiled at me.

"Ok, bye Alex." I smiled and he left.

I turned to my locker, purposely ignoring Syaoran. I exchanged my books and slammed the door shut, coming face to face with a pair of amber eyes. His eyes seemed off, the color of dying embers.

"Hey" he whispered softly.

"Hey." I whispered just as soft.

"Can I talk to you?" He asked and I nodded. Mutely he grabbed my hand and led me out of the school into the car. He opened my door like he always did and after buckling in himself he drove off. We drove in silence, music playing softly through the car. After a half-hour drive we finally arrived at our destination:

A cliff.

A cliff overlooking Tokyo to be exact.

We got out of the card wordlessly and leaned on the hood of the car. We stayed there for a while, neither of us talking, just taking in the view.

"I'm sorry." Syaoran murmured after a while.

"It's ok, I wasn't really mad." I forgave him easily. I wasn't even angry, it was more about teaching him a little jealousy was ok, but too much of it and it could lead to something worse.

"Really?" He asked in surprise.

"Yeah, I mean at the moment I was mad you thought it was ok to say who I could and couldn't be friends with." I explained.

"I know I can't choose your friends for you, but I-I…." he stammered the last part and drifted off.

"You were jealous, it's ok." I teased and he bumped me softly.

"Baka, don't say weird things like that." He said gruffly.

"It's ok Syao, I get jealous too." I admitted with a smirk.

"You do?" He asked in awe and I couldn't help but giggle at his boyish face.

"Yup." I Agreed simply, knowing he wanted more.

"When?" He asked excitedly.

"Not telling." I chuckled.

"No fairrrrr." He whined.

"Still not telling, no matter how cute your puppy-dog eyes are." I laughed and kissed his nose.

"Fine, but do forgive me. I lost my cool and should have spoken to you in private instead of blowing up in front of our friends. It doesn't matter if you are friends with Alex, I trust you and love you with all my heart." Syaoran said and my heart burst with emotion.

"I love you too, Syaoran." I grinned and jumped on him. We hugged for a while before we broke apart and kissed. We kissed as the sun dipped over the horizon, and I couldn't help but smile as we did.

* * *

 ***One month later***

It was 8th period and I currently sat cross-legged on top of the teacher desk, staring at my blank wall. Again.

"So, nothing?" Alex asked strolling in and taking a seat next to me.

"Nothing." I deadpanned and groaned. This had become a routine of sorts, every 8th period Alex would come and ask me if I had thought of something for my wall and I always answered the same. He always stayed after to chat though and after a month and change I could confidently call him a good friend.

"You'll get there." He smiled comfortingly.

"Thanks, how's practice going for the race?" I asked referring to a car race he was supposed to take part in the day after valentines.

"Pffft, me practice? I know I'm going to win." He smiled cockily and I shook my head laughing.

"So confident." I rolled my eyes.

"Very much so, any big Valentine's Day plans Saturday? Knowing your Wolf you probably do." He smirked, to him we weren't Syaoran and Sakura, we were The Wolf and The princess.

"I actually don't know yet, we've both been so busy with work and he's going through the whole college applying process so there's that." I sighed at that too and it didn't go unnoticed by him. Nothing ever seemed to escape him.

"What's wrong?" He asked and I sighed.

"Syaoran has been avoiding me." I groaned and deflated. For the past 2 weeks Syaoran had been effectively avoiding me, he was always busy with work or his family or with the guys. Even in the rides home or to school or to work he was even more quiet than usual.

I explained all of this to Alex who sat and listened to it intently.

"Maybe he doesn't want to ruin a surprise for Valentine's Day." Alex reasoned.

"Maybe." I sighed and played with the hem of my oversized red flannel shirt. It was unbuttoned, revealing underneath a black tank top and blue skinny jeans. My feet clad in red converse.

"Cheer up Hime-sama." He smiled tentatively.

"I'm ok, just a little lonely. All the girls are solely focused on making their first Valentine's Day with the guys perfect. It's all six couple's first Valentine's Day together." I explained.

"Well, how about I invite you to my race Sunday night?" He smiled brightly.

"What?" I asked.

"Come watch me race, it's the day after Valentine's anyways, if the Wolf has any plans for you they should be over by then."

"I'll think about it, but thank you." I smiled softly.

"Here." He said and pulled out his phone, handing it to me briefly after looking for the dial pad.

"What?" I asked looking at the phone.

"Your number dummy, so I can text you." He rolled his eyes playfully and I complied. My phone buzzed shortly after and I saw a text from an unknown number that read "Alex".

"I got it." I said saving the number.

"If you ever need a friend, I'm a phone call away." He smiled and I nodded.

"Thank you, same goes for you." I smiled and he nodded. The bell rang and we hopped off the desk.

"I'll see you around." Alex waved.

"Laters." I waved back and left to my locker. Syaoran wasn't there but I noticed a note stuck on the slot of my locker. I opened it and pulled the note.

-' _Sakura,_

 _I had to go into the office early but Wei will drive you home to get ready for work._

 _Love, Syaoran.'_

I slumped into my locker and grudgingly exchanged my books. This was the 3rd time Syaoran had ditched me and sent Wei to pick me up and it was only Wednesday. I closed my locker door and stood in a daze, watching everyone walk by. I didn't know that loving someone so much meant that the slightest thing would affect you so much. My insecurities were slowly but surely creeping up on me and surfacing. I didn't know how many times in the past couple days I'd sneak glances at him and wonder , did he find someone better? Was he cheating? What if he was tired of me? Or if he found someone prettier?

My mood darkened considerably as I dragged my feet to the front and pondered over these things over and over again. I looked up and saw Wei standing outside the limo waiting for me.

"Hi Wei, thank you for coming." I smiled weakly.

"It's my pleasure Sakura-sama." He smiled back and opened the door.

"Sakura!" Someone called as I was climbing inside.

Alex was jogging up to me, his motorcycle running idly a couple feet behind the limo.

"'Sup Alex?" I asked.

"Where's the Wolf?" He asked curiously.

"He left for work early." I tried to hide my disappointment.

"Again?" He asked and I nodded.

"That's like everyday this week." He said and I sighed.

"I know, but it's ok, he's been getting a lot more responsibility with the company so I understand." I said but my voice betrayed me and cracked at the end.

"Come on" He said tugging my hand.

"Huh?" I asked confusedly as he dragged me towards his bike.

"You're going to play hookie." He smirked.

"But Wei-" I started to protest but he cut me off.

"Wei you can tell the Master, Sakura-hime will be taking the day off of work and that she will not be home for dinner." Alex announce to Wei.

"Very well." Wei bowed.

"Here" He handed me a helmet with a wolfishly grin.

"I can't just play hooky Alex." I protested.

"Why not?" Alex asked.

"Because… because…" I started trying to think of anything.

"Because nothing." He grinned again, pushing the red helmet towards me once more.

He was right, in a sense. There really was no reason why I couldn't play hooky for one day, especially when the reason for my depressed state was essentially my boss.

"Fine." I agreed reluctantly taking the helmet.

"Let's ride." He grinned slipping on his own black helmet. He swung a leg over the bike with ease and looked at me expectantly. He looked every inch in his element his biker boots, dark jeans, black muscle shirt and leather jacket.

"You might need to take off your pony to put on you helmet." He said and after a hesitating minute I undid my ponytail and let my hair swish. It was longer than I remembered, coming up to my thighs.I swung my leg over the bike and sat behind him, slipping my helmet on afterwards.

"Ready?" He asked excitedly.

"As I'll ever be." I said, my voice muffled by the helmet.

"Hold on!" He said and we peeled off the school surprisingly quick. I held on to him for my life as he raced through the streets of Tomoeda. The scenery flew past quickly and we before we knew it we were descending into an underground garage in downtown Tokyo. Alex slowed as he entered and park in one of the spots closest to the elevator.

I let go of him and he hopped off the bike, helping me right after. I took of my helmet and shook my hair that had now become a tangled mess from the wind. I put my hair up in a messy bun and looked at Alex expectantly. He had done the same and was waiting for me.

"How was that?" He asked with impish grin as we made our way to the elevator.

"I liked it, kinda feels as if we're flying." I admitted and he smiled, pleased with my answer.

"I'm glad." He smiled and we entered the elevator where he produced a card key and pressed the P button. We ascended and I looked around in awe.

"So where are we exactly?" I asked.

"My apartment." He answered with a smirk.

"You don't live with your dad?" I asked knowing his mom was back in the States

"Nah, I like my space." He shrugged and the elevator dinged.

The doors opened and Alex stepped forward into his "Apartment." I put quotes around apartment because apartment was small for what it was, and now I knew what the P stood for, it stood for Penthouse. The penthouse was obscenely large and in tones of black and gold. To my right were black leather couches in front of a fireplace and an equally impressive TV hung above it. Black marble floors, dark walls and gold curtains decorated the place, as well as a couple potted plants and a low dark wood coffee table. To my left was a 4 chair dining table, a black marble breakfast bar and a spacious chrome kitchen. What took my breath away though were the floor to ceiling windows that made up the back wall, tokyo and it's bright colors shining below us.

"Welcome to Casa de Alex." He smiled and I did a 360 spin of the room.

"Wow." I whispered softly and approached the windows looking down below us and at the beautiful horizon.

"You like?" He asked coming to stand next to me.

"It's beautiful." I breathed.

"You should see the sunrise, it's beautiful and I get a front row seat every day."

"How high up are we?" I asked. We were on the top floor so our view wasn't obstructed by any other buildings.

"80th Floor, tallest penthouse in the city." He said and turned to take off his jacket.

"I'd never get tired of this view." I admitted as I admired the grandeur of it all.

"Do you like white wine?" Alex asked and I turned to see him rummaging in the kitchen.

"Love it." I smiled and took off my bag, resting it on one of the couches. I made my way to the breakfast bar and watched as he pulled two wine glasses from one of the cabinets and a corkscrew for the chilled bottle of wine that sat on the counter.

"Good, because today we're going to get drunk." He smirked.

"Uhhhhhh, no?" I protested but he just laughed.

"Uhhhhhh, yes! You're depressed and lonely, I need an excuse to drink AND I'm working on a plan that requires you to be tipsy." He stated and began to open up the bottle of wine.

"Why does this plan require me to be tipsy?" I asked suspiciously as he poured me a glass of wine and one for himself too.

"No reason." He smirked and I gasped in a dramatic way.

"Are you trying to take advantage of me?" I gasped feigning horror.

"So I can have the full force of the Li Wolf on me? No thanks. I saw what he did to my uncles company." He joked lightheartedly and I laughed.

"Point taken." I chuckled and took a sip of my wine. Sweet, I noticed and smiled.

"Moscato." He answered my unasked question.

"Very nice." I smiled and took another drink. He pulled a platter with cheese and grapes from the fridge and motioned for me to follow him to the living room. He set the platter on the coffee table and sat on the love seat with me in tow.

"So, what's wrong?" He asked after we settled.

"Nothing's wrong." I protested taking a large gulp of my wine before setting it down on the coffee table.

"I don't know who you think you're fooling with that answer. You can see the sadness in your eyes from a mile away." He said softly. I looked into his bright blue eyes and completely broke down.

"Oh Alex!" I cried and buried my face in my hands as hot fat tears rolled down my cheeks.

"Hey! No, no, no. Don't cry hime-sama. What's wrong?" He comforted me and put an arm around my shoulders, hugging me to him. I cried for a long time, my sobs and tears never stopping. The sun dipped beneath the horizon and all of Tokyo lit up beneath us.

"Alex, I think Syaoran is cheating on me." I sniffed after I had calmed down a little.

"What? Are you crazy? Li may not be my biggest fan but he's not stupid." Alex scoffed.

"It's just that he's always surrounded by all these beautiful women who seem to be models and have important backgrounds, he was bound to find someone better and prettier than me." I cried and covered my face with my hands once again.

"Sakura, what are you talking about?" Alex asked as if what I'd said was the most ridiculous thing he'd heard.

"It's just that-" I started but he cut me off.

"That nothing. Sakura, Syaoran has eyes for no one but you. Have you ever seen the way that man looks at you?! He adores you!" Alex reasoned.

"Really?" I asked meekly.

"Of course, you'd have to be either blind or really foolish not to see it." He smiled softly at him and I smiled back.

"Thank you Alex, you're a good friend." I smiled weakly and he returned it.

"Don't mention it, I have a rep to protect." He smirked and I giggled.

"Seriously though thank you, I needed this." I said yawning.

"That's enough thanking, get some rest I'll wake you up for dinner." He said gently and I nodded tiredly, too exhausted to even complain. I kicked off my shoes and curled up on the couch, closing my eyes. A couple seconds later I felt something warm cover me and I opened one eye to see Alex cover me with a blanket. I fell asleep and dreamt of nothing.

* * *

 ***Li corp***

 _ **-Syaoran's POV-**_

"How much longer do I have to keep doing this? It's not fair to Sakura." I growled at the blonde in front of me.

"For as long as I want, you wouldn't want little miss Sakura to get hurt now, would you?" Kari Johnson smiled wickedly at me before crashing her lips against mine. I stood still and let her kiss me, vile threatening to rise from my stomach.

"Good boy." She cackled before hopping off my desk and leaving my office.

"What the hell I'm I going to do?" I murmured to myself, covering my face with my hands in shame.

* * *

 **A/N:** Hey guys! Sooo I hope you won't hate me to much at my turn of events BUT I promise you it's worth it! I already have the next events lined up it's just a matter of sitting down and writing them. I'll try and update by next Wednesday! Love you all and keep being awesome! 3


	33. Chapter 33

**A/N** : WHOAH someone call the fire department for all these flames xD Just kidding guys but seriously I think this is the most reponse I've gotten from a chapter ever! Anyways! Guys I LOVE YOU ALL AND WOULD NEVER DO THAT! Come on! I've told you before I'd never step this low so with that said please please please read on and don't leave meeeee.

 ** _*SPECIAL MINI CHAPTER*_**

~DarkAngel~

* * *

 _ **-Syaoran's POV-**_

" _How much longer do I have to keep doing this? It's not fair to Sakura." I growled at the blonde in front of me._

" _For as long as I want, you wouldn't want little miss Sakura to get hurt now, would you?" Kari Johnson smiled wickedly at me before crashing her lips against mine. I stood still and let her kiss me, vile threatening to rise from my stomach._

" _Good boy." She cackled before hopping off my desk and leaving my office._

" _What the hell I'm I going to do?" I murmured to myself, covering my face with my hands in shame._

I woke up with a start and looked around trying to gather my surroundings. I was at the office and had fallen asleep along the line. I looked at the time but it only read 6 pm, meaning I had only fallen asleep for 30 minutes. That nightmare though had really shaken me up, I was sweating and my breathing was ragged. I took off my jacket, folded up my sleeves and loosened up my tie to try and get some air. I walked over to the window and watched the people below, the dream replaying over and over again.

Not that I'd ever cheat on Sakura, especially with Kari but her threat from two weeks ago seemed to be looming over my head.

* * *

 ** _*Flashback*_**

 _- **Two Weeks Ago-**_

 _I was leaning against my locker waiting for Sakura as usual to go home together, when Kari approached me._

" _Hey Syaoran." She said in a sugary-sweet voice._

" _It's Li to you." I answered in my cold tone._

" _Whatever, I just came to tell you I recently went over to Mizuki Saito's house." She said and I rolled my eyes._

" _And why should I care?" I sighed exasperatedly, hoping she'd leave before Sakura came._

" _Because she gave me some very interesting insight on your dear Sakura-chan." She smiled wickedly._

" _Bullshit." I growled._

" _Oh really? Then how do I know Sakura's adoptive mom and Mizuki treated her like shit and made her clean and cook everyday? Or how she was forced to wear hoodies and a ponytail so she wouldn't call attention to herself? Or how she was abused by her mom's -"_

" _If you continue that sentence I will make sure Meiling comes after you. Physically." I threatened knowing I couldn't hit a girl but Meiling gladly would, specially if it was Kari._

" _Whatever but what would happen if all of those things were to become the hottest gossip in school?" She asked and I groaned._

" _What do you want?" I asked seriously._

" _For you to be mine." She smiled evilly once more._

" _What? You're crazy." I huffed._

" _Well you decide, break up with Sakura and come back to me OR have her become the School's biggest joke as well as the world's biggest scandal. I'll give you two weeks from now to think about it. Bye-Bye Syaoran." She caressed my cheek and left._

 ** _-End Flashback-_**

* * *

It would be two weeks on friday, the day before Valentine's day and I was a mess. I kept trying to figure out a way to save Sakura but keep her by my side as well. In return though I had been pushing her away, working unnecessary hours, video-chatting with my family in china alot more, hanging out with the guys outside the house and preparing her Valentine's Day surprise. I hadn't told anyone either, keeping the burden inside my head but the clock was ticking and I could practically see Sakura getting sadder day by day. I knew she knew I was avoiding her, but until I could save her I couldn't bear to look at her without guilt-ridden eyes.

I looked at the clock again and saw it was 6:15 but I hadn't heard Sakura come in yet. I rang the intercom to her desk but it just rang on. I walked outside and was met with an empty desk. The elevator dinged and I looked up expectantly, but was met with the smiling face of Wei instead.

"Wei" I greeted and he bowed after stepping out of the elevator.

"Greetings Syaoran-sama." He smiled.

"Where's Sakura?" I asked.

"Sakura-sama will not be coming in for work and she is to not be expected for dinner." Wei informed me.

"Oh, did she tell you anything else?" I asked curiously, it was unlike Sakura to call out of work and she usually let me know if she wasn't going to be in for dinner.

"No, Sakura-sama wasn't the one who sent the message, it was Sakura-sama's friend Alex-sama."

"Alex?! They're together?" I asked furiously. I knew he was Sakura's friend but this is going too far.

"Yes Syaoran-sama, He took Sakura-sama on his motorcycle and did not say where to."

"I'm going to kill him." I growled, my jealousy flaring. They could be friends, in the end I trusted Sakura, who I couldn't trust was Alex. I stalked back to my office and grabbed my office phone first.

" what can I do for you?" The girl at the front desk asked breathlessly, probably shocked I'd even called.

"Forward all my calls to my cell if they are important otherwise reschedule. I'm leaving now." I informed and hung up. I gathered my jacket and briefcase before I reached my cell and phone up Eriol.

"Eriol, I need a favor." I said in a serious tone as I made my way down the elevator.

"What's up?" Eriol asked with a hint of amusement.

"I need Sakura's phone location, STAT." I barked and made my way to the valet who had scrambled for my car after seeing my expression. It must have been bad because the girls didn't even greet me goodnight like they always did.

"Umm, is everything ok?" Eriol pried.

"Just Peachy." I gritted and hung up as I climbed in the car, peeling into traffic immediately. A minute later my phone vibrated with Eriol's text tone revealing Sakura's location in Tokyo. After inputting it into the GPS, I sped away.

I sped the entire way there and was infuriated to still get there after sundown. I pulled up to the front of the tallest building in Tokyo and gave my key to the valet. I made my way over to the front desk and turned my charm to a 100 just like I used to when I seduced young heiresses.

"Good Evening." The busty blonde in front of me greeted with a honey-sweet smile.

Ugh. I cringed inwardly.

"Good Evening, I was hoping you could help me out with a little favor." I smirked in a way I knew she wouldn't resist and smiled wider when I saw it worked.

"S-sure, anything you need." She blushed.

"I want to surprise my best friend Alex Johnson and I know he's staying here, can you look up where?" I asked in my most charming voice.

"O-of course." She breathed and set to typing on her computer. A couple minutes later I was walking towards the elevators with a key to the penthouse on the top floor. I paced back and forth in the elevator as I waited to go to the top floor. The doors dinged and opened to reveal a smirking alex waiting for me. He was leaning on the wall, legs crossed looking very amused.

"WHERE IS-" I roared but he covered my mouth quickly and signaled me to shush. He nodded his head in the direction of the couch behind him and I saw a bundled up Sakura sleeping tenderly, her eyes swollen and puffy. I nodded in understanding and he let me go. He motioned for me to follow him and we walked silently up stairs and to what seemed to be his office.

"What do you think you're doing?" Alex reproached as soon as he closed the door.

"What do you think YOU are doing, almost kidnapping Sakura?!" I yelled back.

"Almost kidnapping her? Sakura came here willingly and after all the bullshit you're making her go through you're not a saint yourself." He spat and I looked at him confused.

"Don't give me that look, you can tell you're making Sakura sadder by the day." He said lowly and I had the urge to choke him. Not because he was wrong but because he was right.

"Listen, I'm not trying to break you and Sakura up regardless of what you think of me. Sakura adores you to the point she's beginning to doubt her self-worth, and I can't stand by and watch you lose someone I know you love as much as she does you." Alex sighed and sat on the edge of his desk.

"You really don't have feelings for her?" I asked darkly.

"I do not, you have my word." He nodded and I nodded back, my anger only placating a little.

"So why did you bring here?" I asked.

"I needed to lure you here and also to find out what the hell is going on with you." He crossed his arm expectantly.

I glared at him and crossed my arms as well, assessing if I could really trust him.

"Listen, it's really none of my business what's going on but Sakura-chan broke down today." Alex informed.

"What?" I asked in disbelief, no wonder her eyes looked puffy and red like her nose, she'd been crying.

"She cried for hours before she finally confessed why she'd been so down lately."

"Why then?" I asked

"She thinks you're cheating on her with someone prettier or better than her. Her self-esteem is really low and she has all these irrational insecurities when it comes to you." He explained and I felt my heart ache for the pain I was causing Sakura.

I stood in silence, my heart throbbing in pain at the knowledge I had made Sakura this unhappy just by distancing myself from her. I loved her too much to keep doing this to her and I needed help, a lot.

"It's your cousin Kari, she's threatening me and I need your help." I said through clenched teeth, just because I had accepted the fact I needed help from him,didn't mean I actually liked the Idea.

"Just start from the beginning." He smirked and I rolled my eyes.

I started from the beginning and told him everything.

* * *

 **A/N:** Well there you go guys! I told you I'd never do something that petty after all they've been through. Also this chapter is just really a short but I really really wanted to put you guys at ease with the whole Syaoran is a Cheater thing. Also to make up for it the next chapter (Which is already in the works ;)) will be extra fluffy with a valentine's day theme. So I'll see you guys soon! Love you all 3

 **P.S**. Alex is NOT Evil! It's not a plot twist thing either, I said it at the beginning that he wasn't going to get in between Sakura and Syaoran.


	34. Chapter 34

**A/N** : _Guess who's back and better than ever? Me! Seriously guys I will not even go into what has happened since the last time I actually updated this story. It was really frustrating to actually write this chapter and I think I scrapped it and re-wrote it like 15 times. I realized it was because I wasn't writing what I wanted to anymore, just what I thought you guys would like. Bad Boys is my baby and first fic, but I also realized that by me trying to keep it going longer than I originally wanted, I was doing a crappy job as a writer._

 _With that said! I am going back to my original plan and the next 5-8 chapters left will be the final chapters of this story. I know you guys wanted me to keep it going BUT that is how I ended up with the biggest writers block I've had. After I deal with Kari, I will be just writing different prologue chapters; one of them graduating High school, a couple on their college experience, their engagement, their wedding, and kids for all the couples, etc._

 _I really do love all of you guys and I am going to see this story through. I have the next chapters lined up since that was my original plan, so I should be posting them regularly as I used to._

 _You guys are my rockstars and if no one has told you today, YOU ARE AWESOME!_

 _~RR~_

 _~DarkAngel~_

* * *

 ***Syaoran's POV***

"It's your cousin Kari, she's threatening me and I need your help." I said through clenched teeth, just because I had accepted the fact I needed help from him,didn't mean I actually liked the Idea.

"Just start from the beginning." He smirked and I rolled my eyes.

I started from the beginning and told him everything.

Alex listened intently as I retold my encounter with Kari and shamefully admitted to avoiding Sakura afterwards due to guilt. He never once interrupted me and after I was finished he just sat there on the edge of his desk with his arms crossed and his eyebrows knitted together.

"Well?" I asked expectantly after a couple minutes of silence.

"We're going to need your friends, all of them but Sakura can't know yet. Let's set up a meeting for tomorrow night, Sakura-Chan will be waking up soon and I recommend you stop with the foolishness of avoiding her." He instructed and I nodded stiffly.

"I'll text you tonight with the details of the meeting." I confirmed pulling out one of my business cards to give to Alex.

"My cell is on there." I said as I handed the small black and gold business card, which he took without so much glancing at it.

"Well, I think is about time our princess woke up and her Prince Charming swooped in to rescue her from the evil villain." He chuckled darkly and I rolled my eyes, turning around to go fetch Sakura.

My heart broke once more as I bent down to swoop Sakura into my arms. She stirred as I did and slowly her emerald green eyes fluttered open.

"Hey" I whispered with a smile, kneeling beside the couch.

She looked at me and then her surroundings disorientedly, before she sat abruptly.

"I fell asleep? And why are you here Syaoran?" She asked looking at Alex first and then switching to me.

"You fell asleep after-" Alex started but Sakura cut him off.

"After we watched that super sad movie that made me cry." Sakura interrupted trying to cover up the reason why she had been crying. She gave Alex a pleading look before he glanced at me and nodded.

"That's right, Sakura-chan." He smiled tightly but we both knew better.

"But why are you here Syaoran?" Sakura asked focusing on me once again. Her eyes were still puffy and the green in her eyes seemed dull and darker in color. I melted at the sight and felt nothing but guilt for having caused it. My resolve was clear now, I HAD to make it up to her.

"Why, to rescue my princess." I smirked and stood.

"I don't need rescuing." She said, suddenly serious.

"What?" I asked confused, my smirk falling.

"I don't need you to rescue me, I came here on my own will." She said balling up her fist on the blanket angrily.

* * *

 **Sakura's POV***

Minutes Before*

I woke up groggily and looked at my surroundings before I remembered I was at Alex's. I didn't see him so I figured he was somewhere in the house and stood to look for him. I heard his muffled voice coming from upstairs and creeped up silently trying to scare him. I saw a door to my right and heard his voice again but right as I was about to open the door, I heard Syaoran's voice.

"It's your cousin Kari, she's threatening me and I need your help." I heard him say and the smile on my face fell.

"Just start from the beginning." I heard Alex's muffled voice, and I quietly leaned in to the door to listen better. I heard Syaoran's explanation from beginning to end and the only thing I felt was rage; Rage towards Kari for doing these dirty tricks and at Syaoran for not telling me so we could solve this together. I heard them discuss something about a meeting with the entire gang and took that as my cue to leave. I snuck over back to the couch and laid in the same position I had woken up in.

Present*

"I don't need you to rescue me, I came here on my own will." I balled up my fist on the blanket angrily.

I watched as Syaoran's eyes went through a series of emotions before settling on sadness.

"But-" He started but I threw off the blanket and stood up, coming face to face to him.

"But nothing Syaoran, I'm tired." I spat.

"What do you mean?" He asked softly, his voice laced with sadness.

"What I mean is, I'm tired of being treated like I'm useless!" I said, I hadn't raised my voice but in the dead silent room my words seemed to echo.

"I'm sorr-" He started to apologize but I shook my head.

"I'm helping you with the Kari situation, whether you like it or not." I deadpanned.

"What? How do you know about that?" He stepped closer to me.

"I overheard you guys but I can't keep getting hurt like this Syaoran, we can't let someone as insignificant as Kari keep meddling in our relationship." I crossed my arms defiantly.

"Wow, would you look at that? It seems like dinner is ready to be picked up so I'll be back, you guys are at home." Alex had read the mood so he flashed a smile and left us alone in the apartment.

"Sakura, I'm so sorry." Syaoran finally said after a long pause and I saw the sincerity in his eyes before my anger melted away.

"Syao, I didn't mean to be so harsh but really, after all we've been through I thought you would be able to come to me with something like this." I said sadly and he sighed dejectedly.

"I just didn't want you to get hurt Angel, especially since she's using your past." He pulled me into his arms and I let myself be engulfed by his comforting embrace.

"I forgive you, but I've been so lonely lately. You stood me up everyday this week." I murmured against his chest and felt his arms tighten around me.

"I admit was an idiot, but it won't happen again Cherry Blossom." He pulled back to look me in the eye and I found myself staring into his beautiful gold amber eyes.

"Promise?" I looked up at him expectantly.

"Promise." He smirked a little before bending down and crushing his lips against mine. That was the seal to our promise, and I smiled a little knowing he meant every single word.

Two minutes later, Alex walked in with 3 bags of what seemed to be food.

"So what's the plan?" Alex asked with a knowing smile.

"Sheesh Alex, are you feeding an army?" I asked chuckling. Syaoran shifted so he was holding me by the waist by his side.

"Well being that all your friends will be here in a few, I ordered accordingly." He flashed a smile.

"Friends?" Syaoran questioned.

"Since our Hime-sama knows what's going on, I thought there was no point in prolonging it. I got in touch with Daidoji and she said she'd let everyone else know." Alex came out of the kitchen and sat down on the love seat. Syaoran and I broke our embrace and sat on the couch.

"She does want me to make a decision tomorrow, so we need to figure something out quick." Syaoran sighed exasperatedly.

"I still can't believe she's related to you, by the way." I rolled my eyes playfully and Alex laughed.

"I know, it must come from the other side of her family." He joked and we laughed.

The elevator dinged and we all looked expectantly. Soon enough the whole gang was piling out of the elevator.

"Nice place!" Miki exclaimed and everyone laughed at his childishness.

"Thank you, come in everyone." Alex stood and played his role of Host.

Everyone greeted each other and settled around the living room.

"So, what was so urgent Alex?" Tomoyo asked without missing a beat.

"I think that's your cue little Wolf." Alex gestured towards Syaoran and I saw Syaoran roll his eyes at the nickname.

"Well.." Syaoran went on to explain. Everyone listened intently and I got a couple sympathetic glances my way.

"Unbelievable." Eriol muttered once Syaoran was done explaining.

"Seriously! When is she going to learn?!" Meiling sighed exasperatedly.

"I'm done with her games." I said quietly but everyone turned to look at me.

"What do you mean Sakura?" Rika asked what everyone was thinking.

"It means if she wants to reveal my past, I'm going to let her." I said simply.

"But Sakura, that's not fair!" Chiharu complained.

"It's the only thing she has against me and honestly I'm ok with my past, I made my amends with it." I smiled sadly and Syaoran squeezed the hand he was holding in comfort.

"So, your just gonna let Kari get away with threatening Syaoran?" Naoko asked.

"Oh no, she's going to get what she deserves for that but ultimately I'm not going to let her hold my past over my head." I explained and everyone nodded.

"What's the plan for tomorrow then?" Ryuji asked.

"Nothing, we go to school and go about our regular business, if she decides to actually say something I'll just deal with it then." I shrugged.

"That's it?" Syaoran asked with suspicion.

"Yup, that's it!" I smiled innocently but he still didn't look convinced.

"Don't worry Syao, if she tries anything, we'll be there." Meiling winked and the girls nodded.

"I'm still not entirely convinced but alright." Syaoran nodded and I kissed his cheek.

"Now let's eat!" I said happily.

"There's food?!" Takashi asked with excitement.

"I ordered sushi." Alex smiled and led us into the kitchen.

We ate and the mood seemed to lighten up. We all laughed and chatted until it was time to go home. We bid each other goodnight and soon enough Syaoran and I were driving home.

We drove in silence, with the radio playing softly in the background. He had his left hand resting on my thigh, while I looked out the window pondering the day's events and what tomorrow was going to look like.

We got home and we walked hand in hand to my room. Everyone was asleep already and you couldn't even hear our footsteps as we made our way to our rooms. We got to my door and I was about to leave when Syaoran tugged my hand to stop me.

"What's wrong?" I asked as I saw the look of sadness that had overcome him.

"I just want you to know that I love you and that I will make it up to you for these past couple of weeks." He said with such sincerity and emotion, it moved me.

"It's ok Sya-" I started but he put a finger to my lips to shush me.

"It's not ok Angel, but just know you are the only woman for me and I don't ever want you to doubt that again." He kissed my hand tenderly and I could feel myself begin to blush and the butterflies in my stomach starting to flutter about. That was the magic about Syaoran, he kept making me fall in love with him over and over again, as if it was the first time.

"I love you little wolf." I whispered.

"I love you more, cherry blossom." He whispered back and kissed me. He kissed me until I forgot where we were, about Kari, about school, about my blank mural, I forgot everything, at the moment it was just the two of us. We broke apart and both broke into giddy smiles.

"Now go to sleep princess, we have a showdown with the witch of our story." He joked and I giggled.

"Ok, goodnight Syao." I kissed his cheek.

"Goodnight princess." He kissed my forehead and we went to our separate rooms.

I went through my nightly routine, threw on one of Syaoran's old t-shirts that doubled as a night dress and crawled under the covers.

That night I dreamt of a prince with Amber gold eyes.

* * *

A/N: _Hey guys! So there you have it! Next chapter will be a little longer and extra sweet with some SxS fluff. If you didn't already please read the A/N at the beginning for more info regarding future chapters._

 _Until next time! :3_


End file.
